What Is Dementia? Symptoms, Warning Indicators, Causes & Treatment Options, Everything You Need to Know

Dementia- a general term for cognitive decline that is severe enough to interfere with everyday living, dementia refers to memory, language, problem-solving, and other cognitive abilities loss. The most frequent cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Like heart disease, dementia is an umbrella word that refers to a variety of distinct medical conditions, including Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal brain changes are the root cause of the disorders grouped under the umbrella word "dementia." These alterations cause a decline in cognitive abilities—also known as thinking skills—that is severe enough to affect everyday functioning and independence. They also have an impact on relationships, emotions, and behaviour. Bruce Willis’ Aphasia Has Progressed Into Frontotemporal Dementia Shares His Family on Social Media.

Dementia Symptoms and Warning Indicators

Dementia symptoms can vary significantly, some include:

• Short-Term Memory
• Tracking down everyday things
• Trying to plan and prepare food.
• keeping reminders

Since many diseases progress over time, dementia's early symptoms progressively worsen as time goes on. Don't disregard memory issues or other changes in thinking abilities if you or someone you know is going through them. Visit a doctor right away to ascertain the reason. A diagnosable condition might be found during the professional assessment. Even if a person has symptoms of dementia, early diagnosis enables them to gain the most from available treatments and gives them the chance to participate in clinical trials or studies. It also gives time for planning.

Causes

Damage to brain cells is what leads to dementia. The interfering harm prevents brain cells from communicating with one another. Thinking, behaviour, and feelings can be impacted when brain cells are unable to communicate properly.

The brain is divided into numerous distinct regions, each of which performs a distinctive function (for example, memory, judgement and movement). Damaged cells prevent a specific region from performing its functions normally.

Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia describes the distinction between the two diseases, as well as their signs, stages, risk factors, and other information.

Dementia Diagnosis

There isn't a single test that can identify dementia in a person. Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are identified by doctors based on a thorough medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and the distinctive cognitive, functional, and behavioural changes that are unique to each variety. A person's dementia can be identified with a high degree of accuracy by medical professionals. The signs and brain changes of various dementias can overlap, making it more difficult to pinpoint the precise type. Doctors occasionally diagnose "dementia" without identifying the specific variety. If this happens, a specialised visit with a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or geriatrician may be required.

Dementia treatment is based on the underlying reason. There is currently no known treatment for the majority of progressive dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, but aducanumab (AduhelmTM) and Lecanemab (LeqembiTM) show that removing beta-amyloid, one of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, from the brain slows cognitive and functional decline in those with early Alzheimer's.

(This article is written for an informative purpose and should not be substituted for medical advice. Kindly consult your doctor before trying any tips.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 24, 2023 11:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).