Dementia
Dementia is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of distinct medical diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal brain alterations, however, are the root cause of the disorders included under the umbrella term "dementia." These alterations cause a loss in cognitive abilities—also known as thinking skills—that is severe enough to affect daily functioning and independence. They also have an impact on relationships, feelings, and behavior.
Dementia is a word used to describe the poor memory, thinking, or decision-making that interferes with performing daily tasks rather than a specific disease. Despite the fact that dementia primarily affects older persons, it is not a natural aspect of aging.
Symptoms of Dementia
Dementia is a broad term, therefore each person will experience it differently. Dementia sufferers struggle with:
- Memory
- Attention
- Communication
- Problem-solving, judgment, and reasoning
- Above and beyond the standard visual problems associated with aging
Dementia-related warning signs include:
- Unable to remember a familiar area
- Using strange phrases to refer to everyday items
- Forgetting the name of a close friend or family member Forgetting previous experiences
- Not being able to do chores on your own
Causes of Dementia
Damage to brain cells is what leads to dementia. The interfering damage prevents brain cells from communicating with one another. When brain cells are unable to communicate correctly, it may affect thinking, behavior, and feelings.
The brain is divided into numerous unique areas, each of which performs a different function (for example, memory, judgment, and movement). Damaged cells prevent a certain region from performing its activities normally.
There are certain forms of brain cell damage linked to specific regions of the brain and various types of dementia. For instance, large quantities of specific proteins within and outside of brain cells contribute to Alzheimer's disease by making it difficult for brain cells to maintain their health and interact with one another. Additionally, the hippocampus is a part of the brain that controls memory and learning, and it is frequently this area of the brain that experiences damage first. Because of this, memory loss is frequently one of the first signs of Alzheimer's.
When one gets the treatment for any brain disease, thinking and memory issues brought on by the following conditions may become better, even though the majority of changes in the brain that cause dementia are irreversible and get worse with time:
- Medication side effects.
- Thyroid problems.
- Vitamin deficiencies.
- Depression.
- Excess use of alcohol.
Prevention of Dementia
Although there is no surefire way to stop dementia, there are several things you may do that might be beneficial. The following actions might be advantageous:
- Keeping your mind engaged.
- Be active both physically and socially.
- Give up smoking.
- Take enough vitamins.
- manage the risk factors for heart disease.
- Some forms of dementia may have an increased risk associated with high blood pressure.
- Address health issues.
- Maintain a balanced diet.
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Address hearing issues.