bjones
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Retrograde amnesia is a type of memory loss in which memories of events are lost just prior to the onset of the amnesia. This time period may be only a few minutes, or it may be years. Retrograde amnesia is most often experienced together with anterograde amnesia, which is a loss of memory after the event that caused the loss.
Heat stroke, medically known as hyperthermia, is a definite possibility for someone left in the desert. If not treated, it can easily be fatal. However, if your character was left unconscious later in the day, she could have cooled off when the sun went down prior to experiencing death or a debilitating condition that would affect control of the body or even a vegetable state.
Another factor that would contribute to the event would be dehydration. In the desert sun, she would be extremely dehydrated, which would elevate the seriousness of her medical issues. In fact, dehydration alone can cause heat stroke without being exposed to the hot sun.
Heat stroke can cause serious damage to the brain. When the brains temperature rises to temperatures of 104 F or greater for too long, side effects will occur. Some side effects are not so serious, and they include fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps and dizziness. More serious side effects include the following:
Difficulty breathing
Confusion
Disorientation
Changes in behavior
Hallucinations
Seizure
Coma
Death
While retrograde amnesia can be caused by purely psychological events, it can also be caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI can occur as a result of a physical blow or through internal mechanisms, including the overheating that occurs during heat stroke. In some cases, the memory loss may be total for a certain period, or it may be selective in that the memory of some events may be lost while others in the same period are intact.
 Posted 4817 day ago
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