Memorydisorder.net

There are several different transient amnesia causes that result in temporary memory loss. Amnesia is loss of memory, which can be temporary or permanent. It is not the same as simple forgetfulness, which can happen to anyone and does not indicate a problem with cognition. If you have amnesia, you cannot remember anything that had happened during a specific time period and probably other times as well. Most people do not forget everything about the past, they just lose the ability to acquire new memories.

There are 2 main types of amnesia. The first is retrograde amnesia. This is a loss of memory before an event occurs. For example, you forget what happened right before you receive a blow to the head. Another type of is anterograde amnesia. This is a loss of memory that occurs after some event. For example, a person forgets what happened right after having surgery. People can have both types of amnesia. Many people in severe car accidents have both types.

Some other types of amnesia exist for certain populations. People with psychiatric disorders can suffered from dissociative amnesia. This is the loss of memory around a psychiatric disease. Most patients with mental disorders will not be able to give a full recount of events that occurred while they were sick. This dissociative amnesia is part of the reason why many people cannot remember certain behaviors during incidents. Another type of amnesia is infantile amnesia. This is the inability of adults to remember events of their childhood. This can be the result of age, timing, or emotional connections. It is always surprising which memories are lost from infantile amnesia and which are retained.

Amnesia may be caused by one or several different issues and people with these issues should be screened for the disorder. Trauma, or a blow to the head can cause amnesia. A brain tumor or other mass in the cranium can cause amnesia. Those with dementia should be screened as well as people who have been a part of a horrifying event, such as a rape or seeing someone commit murder or suicide. Stroke is a common cause. Sometimes retrograde amnesia can be the result of a poor diet or vitamin deficiency or even medicines such as sleeping pills and anesthesia used in surgery. Certain poisons such as carbon monoxide, alcohol or substance abuse are also a cause.

In most cases, amnesia is temporary and only lasts a short amount of time. However, it may last a few weeks or even months if the trauma or injury was relatively more severe. As the person recovers, older memories usually come back first, followed by more recent memories. Almost all memory is usually recovered, except the events that occurred around the time of the accident or event. These transient amnesia causes are important to recognize so that people can prevent further damage.