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What is dissociative amnesia?

Dissociative amnesia is when your mind blocks out important information about yourself, causing “gaps” in your memory. One of the most common reasons your mind blocks out things is to protect you from unpleasant, distressing or traumatic experiences. It’s not the same as simply forgetting something. In most cases, you still have the memories but can’t access them.

Dissociative amnesia often happens because of very traumatic experiences, including abuse, war and natural disasters. People with dissociative amnesia have an increased risk of self-harm or suicidal behaviors.

You should get emergency care if you have disturbing thoughts about harming yourself, including thoughts of suicide or harming others. If you have thoughts like these, you can call any of the following:

• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (United States). To call this line, dial 988.
• Local crisis lines. Mental health organizations and centers in your area may offer resources and help through crisis lines.
• 911 (or your local emergency services number): You should call 911 (or the local emergency services number) if you feel like you’re in immediate danger of harming yourself. If you believe someone you know might attempt to harm themselves or attempt suicide, you should also call 911 or your local emergency services number.

What is dissociation?

All your experiences rely on several brain processes and abilities working together. Those include:

• Memory.
• Consciousness (awareness of yourself and your surroundings).
• Identity.
• Emotions.
• Perception (senses like vision and hearing).
• Motor ability (control of your muscles so you can move around).
• Behavior.

Dissociation is a defense mechanism that your mind can use to keep one or more of the above from working with the rest. That can affect how you experience and understand things that happen and what you can remember.

Dissociative amnesia is when dissociation causes memory loss (amnesia).

How dissociative amnesia works

To understand dissociative amnesia, it helps to know a little bit about how memory works. When you think back on events in your life, you’re using what’s called autobiographical memory. It’s like a library inside your mind where every book is a memory of an event from your life.

To create the memories that fill that library, your brain goes through a step-by-step process:

• Encoding: This is when your brain forms the memory. It’s like your brain writing and publishing a book for your library.
• Storage: This is how your brain stores the memory. Your brain files the book away in your library. Your brain also tags the memory so you can return and find it, if needed.
• Retrieval: This is when you go back into your library, open the book and access details of the memory to recall what happened.

Types of dissociative amnesia

There are two main ways that dissociative amnesia can work:

• Retrograde: This is when dissociative amnesia affects finding old memories. It’s like a glitch or error that keeps you from accessing or checking out a specific memory.
• Anterograde: This is when dissociative amnesia blocks the formation or storage of new memories. It’s like a gap in the recording or your brain misplacing the book after creating it. This form is less common than retrograde dissociative amnesia.

How common is dissociative amnesia?

Dissociative amnesia is uncommon, but experts also aren’t sure how uncommon it really is. Estimates range from as low as 0.2% to as high as 7.3%. The American Psychiatric Association estimates about 1.8% of people experience it each year worldwide.

What causes sinus headaches?

If you have a sinus headache, a viral or bacterial infection in your sinuses may be to blame. Sinuses are a series of connected hollow spaces behind your cheekbones, forehead and nose. Air that comes in through your nose travels through your sinuses on its way to your lungs.

Your sinuses are lined with tissue. They also make mucus that keeps your nose moist and traps intruders like bacteria, viruses, fungi and dust-carrying allergens.

Normally, free-flowing mucus carries off intruders before they can make trouble in your sinuses. But sometimes your sinuses’ reaction to intruders starts a chain reaction that leads to sinus headaches.

First, your sinuses start making more mucus. Mucus building up in your sinuses creates a place where intruders like bacteria and viruses can settle and grow. Growing intruders make sinus tissue swell, trapping mucus so it can’t flow from your sinuses. The result is swollen, irritated, fluid-filled sinuses that make your face feel achy and tender.

What are sinus headache risk factors?

Sinus headaches stem from sinus infections. Understanding sinus infection risk factors may reduce your risk of sinus headaches. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, those risk factors include:

• Having the common cold.
• Seasonal allergies.
• Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Structural issues within your sinuses. For example, nasal polyps or a deviated septum may trap mucus in your sinuses.
• Having a weak immune system or taking drugs that weaken your immune system increases your risk of infections, including sinus infections.

How are sinus headaches diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. If your symptoms are severe or ongoing, you may also need imaging tests like X-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.

Imaging tests show if your sinuses are blocked. If they aren’t, it may mean you have a different issue like a migraine or a tension headache. Migraine headaches and sinus headaches have common symptoms. Studies suggest 80% of people who thought they had sinus headaches had migraines.

What’s the treatment for sinus headaches?

Sinus headaches happen because you have a sinus infection. Healthcare providers may treat bacterial infections with antibiotics. Viral infections typically go away without treatment.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend other medications to ease discomfort, like:

• Antihistamines to prevent allergy symptoms.
• Decongestants to reduce swelling in your nose and sinuses.
• Pain relievers to ease headache pain.
• Steroids to reduce inflammation.

Is there a way to get rid of my sinus headache instantly?

Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for sinus headaches. You need treatment for the underlying cause to get rid of a sinus headache. But there are things you can do to ease sinus pressure and pain:

• Apply a warm compress to painful areas of your face.
• Use a decongestant to reduce sinus swelling and allow mucus to drain.
• Try a saline nasal spray or drops to thin the mucus.
• Use a vaporizer or inhale steam from a pan of boiled water. Warm, moist air may help relieve sinus congestion.

Can sinus headaches be prevented?

Preventing sinus infections is the best way to prevent sinus headaches. For example, many people have seasonal allergies that make spring a season of stuffy noses (nasal congestion) that may turn into a viral sinus infection. If that’s your situation, talk to an allergist. They’ll have recommendations and treatments to prevent or ease allergies that cause nasal congestion. Here are other suggestions for heading off sinus headaches:

• Colds may lead to viral sinus infections. You can prevent colds by washing your hands or using hand sanitizers and staying away from people who have colds.
• Nasal polyps may block your sinuses and cause sinus headaches. Treatments include steroid sprays and pills, stents and surgery to remove polyps.
• A deviated septum may be why your sinuses are blocked. Septoplasty is surgery to repair your septum.

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