What is dementia?
Alzheimer's Disease is one of the most common causes of dementia, but there are other types of dementia as well, stemming from different medical conditions. Before you can understand dementia-like symptoms and what they mean, it is important to understand what dementia is, as well as how Alzheimer's Disease manifests itself in symptoms of dementia.
Dementia refers to the loss of intellectual reasoning and cognitive function due to changes in the brain caused by disease or trauma. The changes can affect thinking, memory and reasoning, and may occur gradually or quickly. Cognitive functions that might be affected by dementia include: decision making, judgment, memory, spatial orientation, thinking, reasoning, verbal communication, and neglect of personal safety which can include poor hygiene and poor nutrition.
Common types of dementia and symptoms.
There are different types of dementia and different medical conditions which can cause the dementia. The most common are Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular (Multi-Infarct) Dementia, but there are others as well.
Alzheimer's Disease -Alzheimer's is a disorder that gradually destroys cells in the brain, resulting in dementia. As nerve cells die, affected areas of the brain wither and become smaller. Alzheimer's Disease occurs when the areas of the brain which control memory, logical thinking and personality shrink and these areas' functions are affected. As areas in the brain become smaller, cavities inside the brain containing fluid become enlarged.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include: memory loss including inability to remember the date, time or location; language problems; calculation and abstract thinking difficulty; loss of judgment; depression, anxiety and personality changes; and unpredictable behavior quirks. Later in the disease process, delusions and hallucinations are quite common.
Alzheimer's Disease is incurable and is not a normal process of aging. There are communication and management techniques as well as medication that can improve the quality of life for the both the Alzheimer's patient and for those caring for someone with Alzheimer's Disease or related disorders. It is important to see a geriatrician who can help with a diagnosis and management suggestions.
Vascular Dementia --Vascular (Multi-Infarct) Dementia results from a series of small strokes or changes in the brain's blood supply. Blood clots block small blood vessels and destroy brain tissue, interfering with the performance of daily activities, producing memory problems and causing slurred speech. Depending on the location in the brain where each stroke occurs may determine the seriousness of the problem and symptoms. The damage resultant from these small stokes is not reversible and there is no cure.
People with Vascular Dementia are known to go long periods of time with improvement or stability, but when another stroke occurs, the symptoms quickly return. Often Vascular Dementia can be blamed on high blood pressure; controlling high blood pressure is imperative in lowering your risk of stroke.
Symptoms of Vascular Dementia include: wandering or getting lost in familiar surroundings, moving with rapid but shuffling steps, loss of bladder or bowel control, laughing or crying inappropriately, difficulty following instructions and problems handling money.
Reversible dementia.
Certain dementias, because of their cause, are sometimes reversible. Medical conditions that might cause reversible dementias include: high fever, dehydration, depression, medication or drug reactions, electrolyte imbalance, vitamin deficiency, poor nutrition, thyroid problems, head injuries or brain tumors. All these medical conditions could be serious and must be treated by a doctor immediately.
Is it possible to have dementia-like symptoms without having dementia?
Certain intense emotions can result in dementia-like symptoms. Extreme sadness, loneliness, anxiety, stress or boredom may manifest themselves in forgetfulness, memory loss and confusion. Boredom, common for people facing retirement or just beginning it, might leave a person feeling and acting confused, indecisive, and forgetful because of lack of outside direction for the activities of the day. Similarly, coping with the loss of a loved one, and the associated sadness and loneliness, can trigger a sense of bewilderment about life, and an inability to move on with day-to-day routines.
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