What Is Dementia?

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. It is important to note that dementia is not a part of normal aging; it is a disease. Dementia is an impairment of memory, communication, and thinking. This is why accepting that a loved one has dementia can be so difficult. Dementia includes many cognitive loss conditions like Alzheimer's, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, and Frontal Temporal Dementia. 

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. It is a neurodegenerative disease, which means it is a progressive disease. 

The most common early symptom of Alzheimer's disease is difficulty remembering newly learned information. It then advances through the brain and leads to increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood, and behavioral changes, deepening confusion about events, time, and place; difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking. Sundowning is also a symptom of Alzheimer's disease. Also known as "late-day confusion," sundowning occurs in the late afternoon and evening. It can cause various behaviors such as confusion, anxiety, aggression, or ignoring directions, pacing, or wandering. 

On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives four to eight years after diagnosis but can live as long as twenty years. Although Alzheimer's has no cure, treatments can temporarily slow the worsening of symptoms and improve life quality. 

Vascular Dementia

Vascular Dementia occurs when vessels that supply blood to the brain become blocked or narrowed. You can develop Vascular Dementia after a stroke or from conditions that damage blood vessels and reduce blood circulation such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Smoking can also raise your risk of Vascular Dementia.

Symptoms vary, depending on the part of your brain where blood flow is impaired. Symptoms often overlap with other types of dementia and include confusion, trouble paying attention or concentrating, reduced ability to organize thoughts or actions, a decline in the ability to analyze a situation, restlessness, and agitation. 

Data shows that those who develop dementia following a stroke, on average, survive three to five years. Cognitive changes may sometimes improve during recovery and with rehabilitation; however, there is currently no cure for Vascular Dementia. Treatments may include medications that focus on managing and controlling blood pressure, reducing cholesterol levels, or controlling diabetes.

Lewy Body Dementia

Lewy Body Dementia is the second most common type of progressive. Protein deposits called Lewy bodies, also associated with Parkinson's Disease, develop in nerve cells, causing a progressive decline in mental abilities. In fact, Lewy Body and Parkinson's share the same underlying brain and similar symptoms. Loved ones with Lewy Body may experience hallucinations, changes in alertness and attention, poor regulation of body functions, cognitive problems, sleep difficulties, and depression. Other effects include symptoms such as rigid muscles, slow movement, and tremors.

Because Lewy Body Dementia is progressive, signs and symptoms worsen, causing aggressive behavior, severe dementia, increased risk of falling or injury, and worsening Parkinsonian signs and symptoms. 

An average lifespan is eight years after symptoms start. There is no cure for Lewy Body Dementia, and treatment can be challenging. Doctors will treat individual symptoms for each patient. Treatments include Alzheimer's disease medications to reduce Parkinson's symptoms; however, these medications may also increase confusion and hallucinations. 

Frontotemporal Dementia 

Frontotemporal Dementia is a group of disorders characterized by nerve cells' loss in the brain's frontal and temporal lobes. The exact cause of FTD is unknown. 

Symptoms vary from person to person, and it depends on the subtype of the disorder diagnosed. Some people with Frontotemporal Dementia undergo dramatic changes in their personality and behavior (increasingly inappropriate actions, loss of empathy, lack of judgment, compulsive behavior, changes in eating habits) or experience language difficulties such as loss of speech and movement problems (tremors, rigidity, muscle spasms, muscle weakness). Loved ones with FTD will exhibit more than one of these symptom categories, and the disease will spread to affect most of the brain's functions.  

Frontotemporal Dementia tends to occur between the ages of 40 to 45 and is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or Alzheimer's disease. Frontotemporal Dementia can't be cured, and treatment involves managing symptoms with medication. However, these must be used with caution because side effects include an increased risk of death. 

Loved ones with dementia often experience a mixture of emotions, including confusion, frustration, anger, fear, uncertainty, and depression. Comfort and familiarity can help your loved one cope with this transition. Fill your loved one's life and home with things they find comforting. And remember, it is not uncommon for caregivers to also feel these emotions, so take care of your own health and diet. Ask other family members or friends to spend time with your loved one, so you can also enjoy regular breaks. Participating in hobbies outside the home may also help relieve stress. Many people with dementia and their families benefit from counseling or local support groups and other professional support groups.

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