What Is Amnesia ?
It is marked by the failure to memorize experiences, information and facts. Generally, we witness characters in television and movies to lose their sense of self identity, though; it is not the case with a patient of amnesia. Such a person does not lose his or her self-identity and generally know who he or she is, however the person may experience difficulties forming fresh memories and learning information.
The condition can be source by the damage to the specific brain areas, significant for processing our memory. Amnesia has no particular treatment and is permanent. Though, a number of methods for improving memory, as well as psychological support tend to greatly help the patient of amnesia.
What Are The Symptoms Of Amnesia ?
Two main characteristics of the condition include:
- Anterograde amnesia, wherein the ability to gain new information becomes impaired, after the onset of condition.
- Retrograde amnesia, wherein the ability to remember past events, as well as the similar information of past becomes impaired.
Memory loss tends to range from slight forgetfulness to intense and lasting dementias.
What Causes Amnesia ?
Aging leads certain level of forgetfulness that is totally normal. Older people may find difficulty to learn something new, thus needs extra time to memorize, as compared to young adults.
Though, normal aging does not contribute to significant loss of memory. Indeed, such occurs due to certain diseases.
More specifically, amnesia occurs as a result of certain factors. To determine the actual cause, the health care provider will ask related questions from the family and friends of the patient. The doctor will need to know, either the problem occurred gradually, or suddenly.
Certain areas of our brain help to form and repossess memories. However, a problem to any of these can result in amnesia. The following factors increase the possibility of an injury to your brain:
- Brain tumor.
- Migraine headaches.
- Treatment of cancer, for example chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant or brain radiation.
- Head trauma or concussion.
- Serious infection of the brain or around the brain.
- Insufficient oxygen to the brain, either due to breathing or your heart is stopped for a longer period of time.
- Stroke or Transient ischemic attack.
- Severe illnesses.
- Major surgeries.
- Alcohol abuse.
- A stressful or traumatic event.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Specific medications, for example benzodiazepines.
Dementia is also known to affect your behavior, judgment and thinking.
How Is Amnesia Diagnosis ?
In order to detect the condition, the doctor will perform a thorough physical examination (including neurological exam), and will need the medical history of the patient. This will help him/her identify any other possible cause that has lead to memory loss. To ascertain the diagnosis of amnesia, the doctor will suggest the following:
- Diagnostic tests:
- CT scan.
- MRI scan.
- Cognitive tests.
How Is Amnesia Treatment ?
As mentioned earlier, several methods for improving memory, as well as psychological support tend to greatly help the patient of amnesia.
By : Natural Health News
