DEMENTIA

Dementia is really not a disease. It actually describes a group of symptoms that affect thinking, memory, communication and social abilities so much so that it can interfere with a person’s daily functioning. While dementia generally involves memory loss, the loss of memory loss could be caused by different things which means loss of memory alone isn’t an indication that the individual has dementia.

Progressive dementia in older adults is often caused by Alzheimer’s disease although there are other causes of dementia. Some symptoms of dementia can be reversed. It is a collective term used in describing different symptoms of cognitive decline like forgetfulness. Although dementia is not a normal part of aging like a lot of people are made to believe but it is important to note that the likelihood of having the condition increases with age. 

Symptoms

Symptoms of dementia include disorientation, mood changes, and memory loss. People living with dementia may show different symptoms and the symptoms are usually due to memory loss. Some of the symptoms may be noticed by those living with the condition while other symptoms can only be noticed by health workers and caregivers.

Some of the symptoms include 

• Difficulty completing familiar tasks
• Recent memory loss 
• Disorientation
• Mood changes 
• Problems with abstract thinking 
• Misplacing things 
• Problems communicating 
• Personality changes
• Loss of initiative 

Causes

Dementia is believed to be caused by a damage to brain cells that interferes with the brain’s ability to communicate with each other. The inability of the brain to communicate normally can affect the behavior, thinking, and feeling.

Damage to different parts of the brain leads to different types of dementia. Although many of the changes in the brain that cause dementia are often permanent and may worsen over time, memory and thinking problems caused by certain conditions may improve if the conditions are treated. These type of conditions include vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, depression, excess use of alcohol and the side effects of medications

Diagnosis 

There is no particular test to determine whether or not a person has dementia. A careful and meticulous check on an individual’s medical history, laboratory tests are what doctor’s use in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Characteristic changes in behavior, thinking and day-to-day functioning is also used in the diagnosis. While it is possible to determine with a high level of certainty whether or not a person has dementia, it is harder to determine the particular type of dementia the person has which is because brain changes and symptoms of different types of dementia could overlap.

Treatment 

The treatment used for dementia is usually dependent on the cause. There is no treatment or cure to slow down or stop the progression of certain progressive dementias like Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are drug treatments that may help to temporarily improve symptoms. Non-drug therapies can also be used to help reduce the severity of the symptoms of dementia.

Engaging in physical exercise and a healthy diet could also help in managing dementia because regular exercise could help to risk associated with certain types of dementia and the food you eat may have a powerful impact on brain health.