What is amnesia?

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Amnesia is a medical condition where the patient losses his or her memories and cannot recall information, facts and experiences. Contrary to popular belief, amnesia in most cases do not cause the patient to lose his or her self-identity.

Amnesia is also referred to as amnestic syndrome and those who suffer from it often know themselves and are lucid. But many of those who suffer from this medical condition have difficulties processing new information and memories.

A person who is suffering from amnesia has likely suffered some brain damage on the area where memories are being processed. A temporary loss of memory is called transient global amnesia. But the amnesia may also be a permanent condition.

There is no definite treatment for this medical condition, but there are several techniques employed by medical providers to enhance memory and provide the much-needed psychological support to the patient.

Amnesia explained

Amnesia has two features.

First, a patient who is suffering from this medical condition has his or her ability to learn impaired at the beginning of the amnesia which is referred to as anterograde amnesia.

On the other hand, a patient who suffers from retrograde amnesia ha his or her ability to remember previous events and some information from the past.

There are those who suffer the loss of their short term memory and have inability to recall new information, as well as recent memories. But these patients may still recall remote or vital memories from the past such as childhood experiences or even names of the old presidents. These patients however may not recall the current month, what they had for lunch or even the name of the incumbent president.

Some people confuse dementia and amnesia, but the two are different from each other. Those who suffer from dementia also lose memories, but they also suffer cognitive problems that make daily tasks difficult.

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