Common Causes Of Amnesia

Amnesia is a medical condition involving memory loss. The subtypes of amnesia generally fit into two main categories known as anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia. Anterograde means the patient has problems with forming new memories, and retrograde means the patient has forgotten past events. Both anterograde and retrograde amnesia have a wide variety of causes, but the root is usually some kind of brain damage. Amnesia sometimes goes away after a time but in many cases is devastatingly permanent. Even if it is not accompanied by other symptoms of brain damage, amnesia can severely affect a patient's quality of life. Get to know the causes of amnesia in detail now.

Traumatic Head Injuries

Amnesia that occurs after traumatic head injuries is known as post-traumatic amnesia. A traumatic head injury may occur due to a motor vehicle accident, fall, act of violence, or sports-related accident. Immediately following a traumatic brain injury, the patient often loses consciousness. They may have a concussion. In some cases, a weapon or debris from an accident may end up embedded in the skull, causing direct damage to the brain. The seriousness of post-traumatic amnesia depends on which part of the brain is injured and how severe the injury is. Some individuals make a full recovery, while others may have permanent memory loss. Patients with traumatic head injuries usually have to go through rehabilitation to help them regain their cognitive functions.

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