The Bathroom Break That Wiped Her Memory
Imagine taking such a violent number two that you forget the last 10 years of your life.
That’s exactly what happened to one woman after straining so hard during a bowel movement that she suddenly couldn’t remember an entire decade of her life.
Her family rushed her to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with transient global amnesia (TGA) a rare condition that causes sudden, temporary memory loss. Experts say intense physical strain, including excessive pushing, can sometimes trigger TGA by briefly affecting blood flow to areas of the brain responsible for forming and retrieving memories.
The good news? TGA usually doesn’t cause permanent brain damage, and in most cases people recover within 24 hours.
In this woman’s case, her memories gradually returned after just a few hours in the hospital. However, there’s one catch: she never regained the memories of the amnesia episode itself, which is a common lasting effect of transient global amnesia.
I would that that’s for the best!
Lana Backman
