Amnesia

The term 'Amnesia' refers to the state where a person faces partial or complete memory loss. The patients of amnesia suffer from forgetfulness and poor memory. The ailment can be broadly classified into types - anterograde and retrograde. While in the former, a person is unable to remember new events, the latter causes him to forget the past events. Amnesia is most commonly found in senior citizens. At times, a severe head injury can also result in amnesia. There are a few home remedies which prove useful in treating amnesia. They help improve mental alertness and enhance the nervous system.

• Impaired ability to learn new information, following the onset of amnesia (anterograde amnesia)
• Impaired ability to recall past events and previously familiar information (retrograde amnesia)
• False recollections (confabulation), either completely invented or made up of genuine memories misplaced in time
• Neurological problems, such as uncoordinated movements or tremors
• Confusion or disorientation
• Problems with short-term memory
• Partial memory loss
• Total memory loss
• Inability to recognize familiar faces or places

• Ageing
• Head injury, in which the brain gets damaged
• Deterioration of the brain cells, due to infections of the brain
• Drug abuse
• Traumatic incident
• Degeneration of brain cells
• Brain infections such as herpes, encephalitis, etc
• Severe emotional trauma and seizures
• Dementia
• Alzheimer's disease
• Certain metabolic diseases
• Brain tumor
• Amnesic shellfish poisoning
• Lack of adequate oxygen in the brain
• Bleeding between the brain and skull
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Long-term alcohol abuse
• AIDS
• Migraine
• Stroke
• Hysteria

• Rosemary is the best home remedy for amnesia. Known as the herb of remembrance, it can effectively cure mental fatigue and forgetfulness. Prepare rosemary tea by adding 1-2 teaspoons of the herb to a cup (225ml) of boiling water. Let it steep for 5 minutes, strain the decoction and add a squirt of lime juice. Drink the tea once or twice, on a daily basis.
• Perennail booti is also helpful in curing forgetfulness. Dry about seven grams of this herb in a shady place. Grind it, along with seven kernels of almonds and half a gram of pepper. Add water to form a decoction. Strain the decoction and add twenty-five gm sugar. Drink this mixture, on an empty stomach, every morning, for about a fortnight.
• Walnuts work as effective memory enhancers. Consuming 20 gm walnuts everyday, in the morning, will prove to be highly beneficial. This home remedy can be made more effective if you add 10 gm of raisins or figs to walnuts.
• Almonds are, traditionally, considered to be the best and the most effective memory booster. Soak about 10 almonds overnight. Peel off the brown skin in the morning and make a paste of it. Intake this paste, along with a tsp of butter, every morning. This works as a powerful memory enhancer and reduces needless anger.
• Holy basil leaves prove to be an effective memory enhancer. Boil the leaves in water and strain the decoction. Drink the decoction, after it cools down. You can also eat the leaves directly, after washing them with water.
• Another very popular home remedy for amnesia comprises of the herb, Brahmi. Prepare a decoction of the herb, by steeping it in boiling water and straining the water. Let it cool down and consume it in the morning, on an empty stomach.
• For treating amnesia, biofeedback has proved to be a useful technique. In this process, the patient is made aware of his quantifiable bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar and skin temperature. This raises the patient's awareness as well as his conscious control of the involuntary physiological activities.
• Patients suffering from amnesia can also retort to writing their routine in a notebook. They should try to memorize this and recall everything, first thing in the morning, without looking at the notebook.
• The right diet also acts as a memory booster. Include a lot of phosphorous-rich fruits in your diet, such as dates, oranges, figs, grapes, apple, almonds and walnuts. They help activate the brain cell and reduce forgetfulness.
• The most simple of all home remedies for amnesia is to have a tsp of honey, sprinkled with finely grounded black pepper, once a day. This would help enhance memory.