Dementia is an umbrella term for a variety of neurological disorders that damage the brain and worsen with time. It is the loss of ability to think, recall, and reason to levels that interfere with everyday lifestyle and activities. Some dementia patients lose control of their emotions and other actions, and their identities may change.
Isn’t dementia part of normal aging?
No, many elderly people spend their entire lives without ever having dementia. Normal aging can include muscular and bone weakness, artery and vessel hardening, and certain age-related cognitive problems, which might manifest as:
- Occasionally misplacing car keys
- Struggling to find a word but remembering it later
- Forgetting the name of an acquaintance
- Forgetting the most recent events
What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?
Dementia is a broad word with a wide range of symptoms. Dementia sufferers struggle with the following issues:
- Memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion
- Changes in the ability to speak, understand, and express thoughts and/or words and to write and read
- Wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
- Trouble handling money and paying bills
- Repeating questions
- Using unusual words to refer to familiar objects
- Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks
- Loss of interest in normal daily activities or events
- Hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia
- Acting impulsively
- Not caring about other people’s feelings
- Problems with balance and movement
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities can develop dementia as they age, and detecting their symptoms can be very challenging. It’s critical to consider a person’s existing abilities and to keep an eye out for changes over time that could indicate dementia.
Risk Factors for Dementia
Certain physical and behavioral factors can increase your chances of developing dementia, such as:
- Age
- Dementia in your family
- Illnesses including diabetes, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and sleep apnea
- Depression
- Smoking, heavy alcohol use, poor diet, and lack of exercise
- Brain injury
- Strokes
- Infection of the brain (for example, meningitis and syphilis)
What are the causes of dementia?
Dementia is caused by brain injury. Dementia affects the nerve cells in your brain, destroying your brain’s ability to communicate with its various sections. Dementia can also be caused by a blockage in blood flow to your brain, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients. Brain tissue dies in the absence of oxygen and nutrition.
Damage to the brain causes a variety of symptoms, depending on the part of the brain affected. Some dementias are irreversible and will deteriorate over time. Other types of dementia are caused by medical disorders that also impact your brain. Another set of health problems can cause dementia-like symptoms. Many of these disorders are curable, and the symptoms of dementia are reversible.
How is dementia treated?
The treatment of dementia is determined on the underlying cause. Neurodegenerative dementias, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have no cure, but drugs can help protect the brain or control symptoms such as anxiety or behavioral abnormalities. More therapeutic alternatives are being developed as a result of continuing research.
A healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise, nutritious food, and maintaining social contacts, lowers the risk of developing chronic diseases and may minimize the number of persons suffering from dementia.
When should I see my doctor about dementia?
Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if you or your friends and family see changes in:
- Your memory.
- Your mental functioning.
- Your ability to perform everyday tasks.
- Your behavior.
- Your personality.
Can dementia be prevented?
Although dementia cannot be avoided, leading a healthy lifestyle may minimize risk factors for specific types of dementia.
Keeping your blood vessels clear of cholesterol buildup, maintaining normal blood pressure, maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels, maintaining a healthy weight — in short, remaining as healthy as you can — can keep your brain supplied with the oxygen and nutrients it requires to work at its best. You can take the following healthy steps:
- Quit smoking
- Get enough vitamins
- Get good quality sleep
- Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
- Keep your brain engaged. Solve puzzles, play word games and try other mentally stimulating activities. These activities may delay the start of dementia.
- Stay socially active. Interact with people, discuss current events, and keep your mind, heart and soul engaged.
Complication of dementia
Dementia can affect many body systems and, therefore, the ability to function. Dementia can lead to
- Poor nutrition. Many persons with dementia eventually limit or quit eating, which has an impact on their nutrient intake. They may eventually be unable to chew and swallow.
- Pneumonia. Swallowing difficulties raise the danger of choking or aspirating food into the lungs, which can obstruct breathing and cause pneumonia.
- Inability to care for oneself. As dementia progresses, it might make it difficult to bathe, dress, brush one’s hair or teeth, use the toilet independently, and take medications as prescribed.
- Personal safety issues Some daily activities, such as driving, cooking, walking, and living alone, might pose safety concerns for people with dementia.
- Death. Late-stage dementia leads to coma and death, which is frequently caused by infection.
APOMUDEN 
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