When it comes to differentiating Alzheimer's and dementia, a lot of confusion is experienced and especially because most people use the two words interchangeably. Although slightly related, the two words are very different. In simple explanation, Alzheimer's is one cause of the symptoms of dementia while dementia is a symptom that can be caused by different factors; Alzheimer's being one of the causes.
In short, dementia is a symptom whereas Alzheimer's disease is the cause. Dr. Robert Stern, who is the Director of Boston University of Alzheimer's disease center provides a more detailed description that highlights the difference between Alzheimers and dementia.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people around the world who are suffering from dementia. Though, it is not a disease, dementia is actually a collection of symptoms that can affect a person's mental activity including reasoning as well as memory. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and it is most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia can have a devastating impact on a person's ability to function independently as dementia progresses. Older people's major cause of disability is often linked with dementia and this puts an emotional as well as financial burden on the caregivers and family members of the patients.
To identify causes of dementia, body screening, neuropsychological and blood testing, evaluation of mental status of the patient and even brain scans are done. Dementia can be caused by many symptoms and therefore necessary that several tests be taken to identify the real cause.
When an individual is told they have dementia, it means they have a memory problem and a series of cognitive inabilities. These problems may get worse to an extent that they eat into the daily living of that person.
Alzheimer's is a kind of progressive brain disease and the exact cause of it is still unknown. There is still no cure for this kind of disease. It has been estimated by the National Institute of Health that there are more than five million people who have Alzheimer's in the United States. Younger people can have it, but the symptoms are often manifested by people starting at the age of 60.
There's one challenge which makes people confuse Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It's impossible to accurately diagnose someone with AD when they are alive. It can only be diagnosed after they die, when the brain tissues are carefully examined by a Neuropathologist. However, during their lifetime, a person can only be diagnosed with "probable AD". This term is used by researchers and doctors to indicate that a person is likely to show pathological features of Alzheimer's disease when their brain is examined after death.
Dementia on the other hand starts with slight signs of forgetting things including names and faces of people you see regularly. The condition worsens as it progresses and the patient loses track of the most common setting. This can easily lead to depression making the patient fail to even take care of themselves.
In short, dementia is a symptom whereas Alzheimer's disease is the cause. Dr. Robert Stern, who is the Director of Boston University of Alzheimer's disease center provides a more detailed description that highlights the difference between Alzheimers and dementia.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people around the world who are suffering from dementia. Though, it is not a disease, dementia is actually a collection of symptoms that can affect a person's mental activity including reasoning as well as memory. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and it is most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia can have a devastating impact on a person's ability to function independently as dementia progresses. Older people's major cause of disability is often linked with dementia and this puts an emotional as well as financial burden on the caregivers and family members of the patients.
To identify causes of dementia, body screening, neuropsychological and blood testing, evaluation of mental status of the patient and even brain scans are done. Dementia can be caused by many symptoms and therefore necessary that several tests be taken to identify the real cause.
When an individual is told they have dementia, it means they have a memory problem and a series of cognitive inabilities. These problems may get worse to an extent that they eat into the daily living of that person.
Alzheimer's is a kind of progressive brain disease and the exact cause of it is still unknown. There is still no cure for this kind of disease. It has been estimated by the National Institute of Health that there are more than five million people who have Alzheimer's in the United States. Younger people can have it, but the symptoms are often manifested by people starting at the age of 60.
There's one challenge which makes people confuse Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It's impossible to accurately diagnose someone with AD when they are alive. It can only be diagnosed after they die, when the brain tissues are carefully examined by a Neuropathologist. However, during their lifetime, a person can only be diagnosed with "probable AD". This term is used by researchers and doctors to indicate that a person is likely to show pathological features of Alzheimer's disease when their brain is examined after death.
Dementia on the other hand starts with slight signs of forgetting things including names and faces of people you see regularly. The condition worsens as it progresses and the patient loses track of the most common setting. This can easily lead to depression making the patient fail to even take care of themselves.
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There is a lot of information to learn when it comes to the various stages in dementia. An excellent starting point for What's The Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer's? information, would be to visit the following website at http://stagesofdementia.org.