All about dementia - causes, symptoms, treatment
When an elderly person over the age of 65 years starts to forget things and gets easily confused, it might be a good idea to get a medical evaluation for dementia. Put simply, dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that lead to a decline in cognitive function, logic and analytical thinking. Ultimately, dementia leads to the complete deterioration of the individual’s independence and ability to lead an independent life.
Let’s understand dementia
Did
you know that there are several types of dementia? In fact, dementia is not a
disease, but a syndrome!
Dementia
is defined as the loss of cognitive functioning. This loss is to such a
devastating extent that it can impact the patient’s daily lifestyle and
activities. The individual’s personality undergoes a seachange. If they were
once calm and patient, they may suddenly become agitated, aggressive, and even
unruly.
Dementia
occurs due to damage to brain cells and is not a normal part of aging, even
though it’s commonly seen in elderly people.
Symptoms of dementia
The signs
and symptoms of dementia include -
● Inability
to dress
● Inability
to eat
● Inability
to solve everyday (mundane) problems
● Lack
of control on emotions
● Aggression
● Decline
in language and communication skills
● Decline
in cognitive abilities
● Decline
in logical thinking
● Memory
loss (especially short term memory)
● Inability recognize faces
If
your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, then you need to be wary of
the below -
● Inability
to remember home address or way back home
● Hallucinations
● Repeating
questions
● Using
unusual words/phrases when referring to familiar objects
● Forgetting
family members
● Attributing
family members with other roles (spouse becomes parent)
● Lack
of compassion
● Forgetting social graces and niceties
The
patient becomes a prisoner of their own minds. The decline is slow and gradual,
and it is hard on the patient’s family too. It is a devastating way to lose a
dear one
Types of dementia
The
different types of dementia include -
● Alzheimer’s - most
common type of dementia; caused by changes in the brain, like abnormal protein
buildups
● Lewy
body disease - caused by abnormal deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein known
as Lewy bodies
● Vascular
dementia - caused by conditions that damage blood vessels in the brain or
disrupt the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain
● Frontotemporal dementia - occurs in individuals younger than 60 years, caused by abnormal forms or amounts of protein buildup
All of the above types (can) lead to irreversible progressive dementia.
Other
disorders that may be responsible for the onset of dementia include -
● Traumatic
brain injury
● Parkinson’s
● Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease
● Huntington’s
disease (caused by genetic mutations in the brain and spinal cord)
Risk factors of dementia
Uncontrollable
risk factors for dementia include:
● Aging
● Family
history
● Down
syndrome
● Mild cognitive impairment
Controllable risk factors include smoking, alcohol, diabetes, depression and sleep apnea.
Diagnosing dementia
Diagnosing dementia can
be challenging and include a complete medical history, physical examination,
psychiatric and neurological evaluation as well as a battery of tests including
MRI, CT and PET scans.
Treatment and care
Some forms of dementia are treatable and can be reversed. Therefore, it is important to visit your doctor at the earliest to determine the underlying cause.
Dementia
treatment is usually conservative and can differ from case to case, depending
on the part of the brain that is affected. Some forms of dementia are
degenerative, meaning the individual deteriorates with time. Other forms may be
caused by vitamin deficiencies or reaction to medications. The latter may be
reversible.
Certain drugs can be used to manage symptoms of dementia along with the help of an occupational therapist and a modification of the home environment to make it less cluttered and dangerous.
Some
schools of thought believe that nutritional supplements, music, art, massage
and aroma therapies may be beneficial for dementia too.
Numerous
dementia-like conditions that can be reversed with treatment include those
caused by
● Nutritional
deficiencies
● Subdural
hematomas
● Reactions
to medications
● Metabolic
problems
● Endocrine
disorders
● Infections
● Immune
disorders
● Brain
tumors
● Anoxia
● Poisoning
● Normal-pressure hydrocephalus
At Plexus, we offer customized treatment programs for dementia that include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, behavior therapy, cognitive rehabilitation therapy, and speech therapy.
Reach out to us today to know more.
Call +91 89048 42087 | 080-2546 0886
080-2547 0886 | 080-2549 0886
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