Could you get amnesia if you hold your breath for longer than 5 minutes or cannot breathe for 5 minutes?

No, amnesia is from damage to the brain stem.

You will just die if you hold your breath for that long or get permanent brain damage.

OK. I heard that traumatic experiences can cause amnesia. Is this true?

That would be selective amnesia. It is an unconscious process, but it this kind of amnesia is more psychiatric than medical in nature.

WOW! I didn't know that! Can selective amnesia occur if you cannot breathe for 5 minutes or have a reduced oxygen supply for 5 minutes?

Could you get amnesia if you hold your breath for longer than 5 minutes or cannot breathe for 5 minutes?

If you do not breathe for five minutes you, could die or become comatose, and brain damage is likely to occur when the brain has been anoxic for three minutes.

The National Institute for Neurological Disrodfers and Stroke says:

Cerebral hypoxia refers to a condition in which there is a decrease of oxygen supply to the brain even though there is adequate blood flow. Drowning, strangling, choking, suffocation, cardiac arrest, head trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning, and complications of general anesthesia can create conditions that can lead to cerebral hypoxia. Symptoms of mild cerebral hypoxia include inattentiveness, poor judgment, memory loss, and a decrease in motor coordination. Brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deprivation and can begin to die within five minutes after oxygen supply has been cut off. When hypoxia lasts for longer periods of time, it can cause coma, seizures, and even brain death. In brain death, there is no measurable activity in the brain, although cardiovascular function is preserved. Life support is required for respiration.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause of the hypoxia, but basic life-support systems have to be put in place: mechanical ventilation to secure the airway; fluids, blood products, or medications to support blood pressure and heart rate; and medications to suppress seizures.

Recovery depends on how long the brain has been deprived of oxygen and how much brain damage has occurred, although carbon monoxide poisoning can cause brain damage days to weeks after the event. Most people who make a full recovery have only been briefly unconscious. The longer someone is unconscious, the higher the chances of death or brain death and the lower the chances of a meaningful recovery. During recovery, psychological and neurological abnormalities such as amnesia, personality regression, hallucinations, memory loss, and muscle spasms and twitches may appear, persist, and then resolve.


The Medical College of Wisconsin says:

Specifically, anoxia is a condition in which there is an absence of oxygen supply to an organ's tissues although there is adequate blood flow to the tissue. Hypoxia is a condition in which there is a decrease of oxygen to the tissue in spite of adequate blood flow to the tissue. Anoxia and hypoxia, however, are often used interchangeably -- without regard to their specific meanings -- to describe a condition that occurs in an organ when there is a diminished supply of oxygen to the organ's tissues.

Anoxia and hypoxia may be caused by a number of events, such as smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation, high altitude exposure, strangulation, anesthetic accidents, or poisoning. In severe cases of anoxia and hypoxia, from any cause, the patient is often stuperous or comatose (in a state of unconsciousness) for periods ranging from hours to days, weeks, or months. Seizures, myoclonic jerks (muscle spasms or twitches), and neck stiffness may occur.

Some problems seen after anoxia include mental confusion, personality changes, amnesia or other types of memory loss, hallucinations, and persistent myoclonus.

Other possible causes of amnesia include:

* Aging
* Alzheimer's disease
* Neurodegenerative illness
* Head trauma or injury
* Hysteria - including fugues - often accompanied by confusion
* Seizures - epileptic, or Jacksonian
* General anesthetics such as halothane, isoflurane, and fentanyl
* Alcoholism
* Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
* Transient global amnesia
* Drugs such as barbiturates or benzodiazepines
* Electroconvulsive therapy (especially if prolonged)
* Temporal lobe brain surgery
* Brain masses (caused by tumors or infection)
* Herpes encephalitis
* Other brain infections
* Depression


I hope this is helpful. If you need further information or have other questions on this subject, please feel free to ask.


M:)RGANITE


WOW! I didn't know that! Can selective amnesia occur if you cannot breathe (anoxia) for 5 minutes or have a reduced oxygen supply (hypoxia) for 5 minutes?


"Selective Amnesia" does not occur in either anoxia or hypoxia. It is a horse of a different feather.

"Selective Amnesia" is amnesia about particular events that is very convenient for the person who cannot remember; "why do politicians always develop selective amnesia when questioned about their transgressions?" It is not a medical or psychological condition. Cheating husbands and wives are prone to fall victim to it, but only because they choose to forget what they want to forget and remember what they want to remember. It is a pretext.



M:)


OK. I heard that traumatic experiences can cause amnesia. Is this true?

Yes, it is quite true. Trauma-induced dissociative amnesia was initially reported in World War I studies of war trauma. It has similarity to contemporary findings of dissociative amnesia in victims of childhood sexual abuse. It has been demonstrated that posttraumatic amnesia extends beyond the experience of sexual and combat trauma and is a protean symptom, which reflects responses to the gamut of traumatic events.

No, you can't. You can die from that and suffer possible brain damage.

OK, I'm confused. Someone says you can't get amnesia after(activity) but amnesia is sometimes seen after anoxia or hypoxia or both. To me, this is unclear.

OK, I'm confused. Someone says you can't get amnesia after(activity) but amnesia is sometimes seen after anoxia or hypoxia or both. To me, this is unclear.

Anoxia is total deprivation of ozygen to the brain.
Hypoxia is a reduced supply of oxugen to the brain.

There are many possible causes of amnesis (loss of memory), most of which I delineated in an earlier post. If anything remains unclear I will be pleased to explain further.

M:)RGANITE

With all the info I have here, is it right for me to say you can get amnesia after(activity) ? Or you can't? This is the question I'd like to be cleared up.

With all the info I have here, is it right for me to say you can get amnesia after(activity) ? Or you can't? This is the question I'd like to be cleared up.

What kind of activity?

Holding your breath for five minutes or having a reduced oxygen supply for 5 minutes.

That would cause hypoxia which would cause permanent non-reversable brain damage.

That would cause hypoxia which would cause permanent non-reversable brain damage. Which could cause amnesia?

Head injuries, traumatic experiences, and the like. Yes, hypoxia can cause amnesia, but 5 minutes would cause something more like brain death.

I am curious why you ask. Maybe if I know more circumstances I can help better.

A fellow classmate asked a question like this. I wanted to go in a discussion with my science teacher about this. I thought that with all the knowledge here, I could fuel up an interesting discussion.

Typically 5 minutes without O2 (oxygen) will cause brain death rather than amnesia. Amnesia would be caused most likely by blunt head trauma or a very very traumatic experience.

So, you're saying amnesia is very unlikely? But why?

Yes, it is unlikely because the most likely thing that would happen is that you would DIE. Your brain cannot be deprived of oxygen for that long.

Ok. What about having a reduced oxygen supply for 5 minutes? Same thing?

No, it is not the same thing. You have NO oxygen or little oxygen. It is like having little to eat or nothing to eat.

But how little is little? I mean, I thought you could eat little food and still survive. You might feel horrible, sick, and all terrible things that can happen because of hunger? Doesn't that also apply to breathing? I might have misunderstood your question.

Well, people with COPD live with little oxygen, you give them too much and they die, people with Asthma survive with little oxygen when they have an asthma attack, you give them more oxygen and they live, people with pneumonia have little oxygen.

Look, you are comparing apples with oranges here. You can live with little oxygen like you can live with little food. You die with no food, you die with no oxygen.

OK. You said that very, very traumatic experiences can cause amnesia. Why can't holding your breath for 5 minutes or having a reduced oxygen supply for 5 minutes be a very, very traumatic experience?

I think you are confused about amnesia and brain dead. With amnesia... you forget things. With brain death... you are gone, dead, you know nothing.
I think there have been excellent explanations to your question.

OK. You said that very, very traumatic experiences can cause amnesia. Why can't holding your breath for 5 minutes or having a reduced oxygen supply for 5 minutes be a very, very traumatic experience?
It is impossible to hold your breath for 5 minutes. Most people struggle to hold it for one minute, then are forced to breathe again. It will depend on the degree of oxygen deprivation whether amnesia will follow, but as already shown in early answers amnesia can result from severe cases of hypoxia.

Amnesis associated with hypoxia and amnesis caused by a life event such as the loss of a loved one or the fear of something distasteful occurring are of different orders. The former have organic causes, and the latter are psychologicaly invoked.

The most common type of amnesia from unpleasant expericences or other fears is the fugue state, in which a person wanders and does not remember their former life. It has been described as a flight from unpleasant reality.

Organic amnesia attracts a guarded prognosis. Fugue is almost always reversible, especially after the 'danger' has passed.



M:)RGANITE

OK. I meant what if you can't breath for 5 minutes? Morganite, you're saying that being unable to breath for 5 minutes can't be a traumatic experience because only life events like losing your grandmother can only be traumatic experiences?

Hamworld, if you are unable to breathe for 5 minutes, yes it is a traumatic experience, so traumatic in fact that you will DIE. You CANNOT and WILL NOT live if you don't breathe for 5 minutes.

OK. I meant what if you can't breathe for 5 minutes?

Morganite, you're saying that being unable to breath for 5 minutes can't be a traumatic experience because only life events like losing your grandmother can only be traumatic experiences?


That is not what I said. I differentiated between organic (physical) trauma and mental (psychological) trauma. Eachtype can cause amnesia.

I also said that no one can hold their breath for five minutes. You can try this and if you get past one minute (unless you are a pearl diver) you are doing very well. Time yourself and sit still, and let me know how long you can hold it before being forced by your vegetative (autonomic) nervous system to breathe again. This comes about by the intervention of the CO2 senser in the brain that detects the rising level of CO2 in the body and begins breathing for you (dramatically and against your will!) so that you do not expire.

A brain derived of oxygen for five minutes will very probably die and the body will follow.

Whether the loss of your grandmother is traumatic (harmful) to you depends on your relationship with her, and the changes her passing will bring about in your life. That and also your emotional and mental stability.

If you will revisit my answer below, you will be able to see that I said:

Amnesia associated with hypoxia and amnesis caused by a life event such as the loss of a loved one or the fear of something distasteful occurring are of different orders. The former have organic causes, and the latter are psychologicaly invoked.

If it is still unclear, let me know and I will gladly go into a little more detail for you.

M:)RGANITE

All of these are great examples you have been given hamworld.

I understand you are young. If you don't understand what we have written, just say so and we will clarify it for you. Some of the language can be confusing for someone so young or if you are not familiar with it.

You aren't going to try to get or give amnesia, are you?

No worthbeads, this is a youngster who has been asking many inquisitive questions lately. So, I don't think that is the case.

Okay, because the asker seemed to be very interested if you could could your breathe and get amnesia. Besides, it probably wouldn't work anyway. You would just pass out and start breathing again. Anyway, I was just asking to help overall well-being.

Good call, but this youngin has been pretty inquisitive about many things lately. But again, good call.

You aren't going to try to get or give amnesia, are you?



I don't have amnesia, but I'm a carrier!


M:)

Okay, I'll remove that last post of mine and we will see.

Okay, so I will remove these so as not to inhibit our youngsters inquisitiveness.

Could you live with permanent damage to your brain? You can get permanent damage to your brain from being unable to breath for 5 minutes, right?

Hey! I'm totally offended by that remark! I am not playing jokes and gee, thanks for unnecessarily clarifying the point! I suggest you play some chess. You obviously have no patience.

OK. I get it. Still, that was harsh!

Hamworld, we have plenty of patience. We told you over and over what would happen if you did not have O2 for 5 minutes, yet you kept asking the same thing over and over.

Understand that patience can wear thin if you have to give the same answer almost 40 different times.

That's an exaggeration! I did not give the same answer 40 times nor was it even close.

Nobody gave the same answers 40 times.

You're right, but the point is giving an answer is only important the first or maybe second time. It's like telling a joke. The joke isn't funny if you have to repeat yourself or explain the answer.

You're right, but the point is giving an answer is only important the first or maybe second time. It's like telling a joke. The joke isn't funny if you have to repeat yourself or explain the answer.

Giving answers to serious questions is nothing like telling jokes.

It could be, and often is, that the questioner needs further and better information, and anything that leads them towards understanding is worthwhile, regardless of the number of attempts it takes to eliucidate the facts.

There is nothing funny about amnesia. I might have had amnesia myself once, but I can't remember.

Could you live with permanent damage to your brain? You can get permanent damage to your brain from being unable to breath for 5 minutes, right?

Yes, it is possible to live with brain damage. A brain deprived of oxygen for five minutes will suffer irreperable damage if the person survives such a long period of anoxia.

Giving answers to serious questions is nothing like telling jokes.

It could be, and often is, that the questioner needs further and better information, and anything that leads them towards understanding is worthwhile, regardless of the number of attempts it takes to eliucidate the facts.

There is nothing funny about amnesia. I might have had amnesia myself once, but I can't remember.

I am aware of that. I used the "jokes" thing as a comparison for proving a particular point.

Yes, it is possible to live with brain damage. A brain deprived of oxygen for five minutes will suffer irreperable damage if the person survives such a long period of anoxia.

You didn't say anything about dying. Did you mean including death?

You didn't say anything about dying. Did you mean including death?

I said "if a person survives." If they do not survive, then they are dead. The degree of brain damage will determine life or death. As a rule, five minutes wothout O2 will be fatal (deadly), but some have been found to buck the trend and survive, usually with massively disabling brain damage.

My advice to you is - DON'T TRY IT!

Why is it unlikely to have amnesia?

After being unable to breath for 5 minutes... Is it because you'd die?

After being unable to breath for 5 minutes... Is it because you'd die?


Just so!


M:)

That's it? That's why? Just because you can die? What a very simple answer.

That's it? That's why? Just because you can die? What a very simple answer. It is a very simple propblem. Deprived of oxygen for a sufficient length of time the brain is unable to compensate, and rapidly begins to suffer damage. The longer the anoxic period, the greater the damage. When the vital centres are sufficiently impaired brain death follows. There is nothing complicated about it.

Cerebral Hypoxia Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/anoxia/anoxia.htm)



M:)

Let's say you somehow survived... Why is it still unlikely to have amnesia?

Let's say you somehow survived... Why is it still unlikely to have amnesia?

It is neither unlikely nor probable. It is, however, possible, but would depend solely on the area of the brain that was affected.

If you've somehow survived...

It is neither unlikely nor probable. It is, however, possible, but would depend solely on the area of the brain that was affected. if you've somehow survived, right?

if you've somehow survived, right?

Just so.



M:)RGANITE

I have one more question( I hope) Why does it depend solely on the area of the brain that was affected?

I have one more question( I hope) Why does it depend solely on the area of the brain that was affected?

The symptoms of brain damage reflect the area of damage because various functions are controlled by different areas of the cerebral cortex. Thus, damage to the occiptal cortex that controls vision could result in damaged or total loss of vision or visula disturbances depending on the exact locus and extent of the damage.

Prefrontal lobe damage is likely to affect emotional stability or mood, because that is the area of the brain that apparently controls mood.

The most common cause of brain damage, however, is not anoxia or hypoxia, but physical trauma, a blow to the head, and brain heamorrhages - strokes - where blood escapes from one of the vessels that serve the cerebrum and invade surrounding tissues, the damage resulting from pressure on the brain itself from escaping blood, because the brain is encased in a bony box and there is no escape for the extravasated blood.

Again, the degree of damage depebnds on the severity of the bleed or the physical trauma to the brain. Shaken babies suiffer brain damage because the brain sloshes about during violent shaking causing damage as it does so. Put an egg in a box and shake it violently, and what happens to the egg happens to the brain inside the skull during physical trauma.

M:)

No worthbeads, this is a youngster who has been asking many inquisitive questions lately. So, I don't think that is the case.

Is there such a thing as a non-inquisitive question? I encourage youngsters to ask questions. How will they get to know anything otherwise? An unquenchable spirit of inquiry is often evidence of latent genius.

M:)

Can being unable to breath for 5 minutes cause cerebral hypoxia? Maybe I'm not being specific. There are plenty of ways that can cause you to be unable to breath for 5 minutes...

What would be the easiest way to give yourself amnesia? Maybe if you had severe depression, you could get amnesia and then forget all the memories.

Depression is not going to give you amnesia.
Like the others said you are more likely to risk brain damage than get amnesia if you try for amnesia.