Common Causes Of Amnesia
Stroke
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain hemorrhages or gets blocked. This causes a lack of oxygen to part of the brain, resulting in the death of brain cells. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, amnesia may result. Various types of amnesia are possible, including visual, verbal, and informational amnesia. Visual amnesia, as its name suggests, has to do with forgetting what things look like. For instance, someone who suffers from visual amnesia might forget what their loved ones' faces look like. Verbal amnesia has to do with forgetting names and other linguistic information about the world. It can make it difficult to speak fluently. Informational amnesia can make it difficult for the patient to remember how to do tasks or to learn new concepts. After suffering from brain damage, most patients go to rehabilitation to relearn how to do everyday things they have trouble with. Amnesia sometimes improves after months or years of rehabilitation, but improvement is not guaranteed.
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Anoxia
Anoxia is a condition in which an organ does not get any oxygen for a certain period. When the affected organ is the brain or part of the brain, it is referred to as cerebral anoxia or anoxic brain injury. Permanent neurological damage often occurs from this. There are many possible causes of a lack of oxygen in the brain, including various lung diseases, severe anemia, hemorrhaging, carbon monoxide poisoning, and cardiac arrest. It can also occur if someone is in an environment where there is simply not enough oxygen in the air, such as at very high altitudes or underwater. Amnesia is a common result of the brain damage that occurs when the brain does not get enough oxygen. Whether a patient regains normal memory function depends on how severe the anoxic brain injury is. If the damage is mild, the patient may actually make a full recovery. However, many patients' prognoses are very poor.
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