Have you or a relative or a friend been diagnosed with Dementia? Are you feeling confused or anxious about how precarious and risky it can be? If yes, then let us first understand what is Dementia in real terms. The term "Dementia" describes a group of symptoms that involves physical changes in the brain structure which can basically affect personality, thinking, behavior, emotion and memory. This involves mood changes, loss of memory and problems with communication.
The symptoms of dementia develop when the brain is impaired by various diseases, including Alzheimer's disease which accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the cases and also damage caused by certain small strokes. There are approximately 800000 people with this disease in the UK.
Dementia is also classified as a lifestyle condition that can affect anyone due acquired behavior such as consuming large amount of alcohol and smoking marijuana. Other lifestyle disease that are so much related to dementia due to change of eating habits include; diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Human mind has different regions and each part is responsible for different functions like movement, memory, judgment etc. In case if brain cells of any particular region gets damaged, that region does not carry out its functions properly.
When should you see the doctor? If you note any signs that may suggest dementia, it is advisable to immediately visit a qualified physician who will perform a confirmatory test. He will then identify the cause and give you the right medication to treat the condition. Some conditions are treatable and the patient can fully recover from dementia while in others such as Alzheimer and Parkinson dementia worsens with time.
The major causes of this disease are firstly, Alzheimer's disease where the brain structure changes ultimately leading to the death of the brain cells. Secondly, Vascular dementia where the oxygen supply to the brain breaks down and the brain cells die. Thirdly, Dementia with Lewy bodies that causes degeneration of brain tissue leading to hallucinations and disorientation. Fourthly, Fronto-temporal dementia where the front part of the brain is damaged causing changes in the behavior of the person.
There are several conditions which produce symptoms similar to this disease for instance, depression, infections and tumors. Therefore it is indispensable that a proper medical diagnosis is done at an early stage. This will in turn ensure that if the person is in a treatable position, then a correct medication can be followed.
There are 7 stages involved in this disease. The first stage has no cognitive impairment with no memory problems. The second stage involves very mild cognitive decline where there are memory lapses. The third stage involves mild cognitive decline causing concentration problems and decline in the ability to plan and organize things. The fourth stage is a moderate cognitive decline with impaired ability to perform. The fifth stage is a moderately severe cognitive decline with immense gaps in memory. The sixth stage is a severe cognitive decline worsening the memory difficulties. The last stage is a very severe cognitive decline where the individual completely loses the ability to respond to the environment.
As we have already seen dementia is a condition that affects the mind and may be attributed to old age, illness or change of lifestyle. The condition can be contained if the cause is identified and treated at an early stage; however this may not be possible if the cause is related to old age.
The symptoms of dementia develop when the brain is impaired by various diseases, including Alzheimer's disease which accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the cases and also damage caused by certain small strokes. There are approximately 800000 people with this disease in the UK.
Dementia is also classified as a lifestyle condition that can affect anyone due acquired behavior such as consuming large amount of alcohol and smoking marijuana. Other lifestyle disease that are so much related to dementia due to change of eating habits include; diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Human mind has different regions and each part is responsible for different functions like movement, memory, judgment etc. In case if brain cells of any particular region gets damaged, that region does not carry out its functions properly.
When should you see the doctor? If you note any signs that may suggest dementia, it is advisable to immediately visit a qualified physician who will perform a confirmatory test. He will then identify the cause and give you the right medication to treat the condition. Some conditions are treatable and the patient can fully recover from dementia while in others such as Alzheimer and Parkinson dementia worsens with time.
The major causes of this disease are firstly, Alzheimer's disease where the brain structure changes ultimately leading to the death of the brain cells. Secondly, Vascular dementia where the oxygen supply to the brain breaks down and the brain cells die. Thirdly, Dementia with Lewy bodies that causes degeneration of brain tissue leading to hallucinations and disorientation. Fourthly, Fronto-temporal dementia where the front part of the brain is damaged causing changes in the behavior of the person.
There are several conditions which produce symptoms similar to this disease for instance, depression, infections and tumors. Therefore it is indispensable that a proper medical diagnosis is done at an early stage. This will in turn ensure that if the person is in a treatable position, then a correct medication can be followed.
There are 7 stages involved in this disease. The first stage has no cognitive impairment with no memory problems. The second stage involves very mild cognitive decline where there are memory lapses. The third stage involves mild cognitive decline causing concentration problems and decline in the ability to plan and organize things. The fourth stage is a moderate cognitive decline with impaired ability to perform. The fifth stage is a moderately severe cognitive decline with immense gaps in memory. The sixth stage is a severe cognitive decline worsening the memory difficulties. The last stage is a very severe cognitive decline where the individual completely loses the ability to respond to the environment.
As we have already seen dementia is a condition that affects the mind and may be attributed to old age, illness or change of lifestyle. The condition can be contained if the cause is identified and treated at an early stage; however this may not be possible if the cause is related to old age.
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