Amnesia Symptoms And Prevention
Symptoms of amnesia are partial or complete loss of memory. Strictly speaking, it can be said that it is a memory disorder during which a person is unable to recall any or part of the previously stored information. To make amnesia easier to understand, it is important to know exactly what memory is and how it works.
Basically, memory is the central nervous system’s ability to learn, organize, and place past events. Thanks to memory, we are able to store information through complex mechanisms that take place in three stages: encoding, storage, and recall.
A person with amnesia is no longer able to develop memory and all the processes involved.
What leads to amnesia?
The disease can be caused by either organic or functional causes.
- For the vital cause, some factors cause damage to the brain; these can be illnesses, bodily injuries or even the use of certain medications such as sedatives.
- Operational causes include psychological factors such as defense mechanisms. This is known as post-traumatic amnesia.
In addition to this general classification, there are other causes, such as amnesia after anesthesia. This is because anesthesia interferes with memory enhancement mechanisms.
Amnesia can also occur completely spontaneously. An example of this is transient complete memory loss, which occurs especially in middle-aged and older people, especially men. It usually takes less than 24 hours.
Symptoms and prevention of amnesia
Symptoms of amnesia
The symptoms of amnesia revolve around memory difficulties. A person with amnesia may not be able to remember all sorts of basics, such as dates, names, or general information about their own past.
The two main features of Amnesia are as follows:
- Difficulty learning new knowledge after an outbreak of amnesia. This condition is known as anterograde amnesia.
- Difficulty remembering past events and previously familiar information. In this case, amnesia is retrograde.
Amnesia is also associated with other symptoms:
- Fake memories. People with amnesia may experience confabulation, that is, they either create fully invented memories in their minds or invent them from real memories by placing them at the wrong time.
- Confusion or confusion.
- The patient’s relationships can also be weakened.
Amnesia should not be confused with dementia, as these are two different terms and a disease. Dementia also includes other cognitive problems that amnesia does not have in addition to memory loss.
Prevention of amnesia
Any damage to the brain is enough to trigger amnesia, so it is important to try to prevent it.
For example, avoid excessive and prolonged alcohol consumption, as it can cause a deficiency of thiamine, or vitamin B1.
Always wear a decent helmet when riding a bicycle or motorcycle. Often amnesia is caused by such accidents.
It is essential to treat all infections underneath quickly and effectively so that they do not spread to the brain. It is also very important to go to the emergency room immediately if you have symptoms related to a stroke or bloating. The most alarming symptoms are severe headache, numbness, or paralysis of any part of the body.