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What is Dementia?
Dementia is a condition characterized by a progressive decline of mental abilities, resulting in the restriction of a person’s daily functioning.
Different areas of the brain control different skills and abilities. When mental functions such as memory, language, orientation, or judgment deteriorate, this may be a direct result of the way dementia has affected the brain.
The brain can be affected by various diseases and conditions which can lead to dementia. These include Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, head injuries, and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Although your risk of developing dementia increases with age and is most commonly seen in the elderly (about 5% of people over the age of 65, and 20% of those over the age of 80 years have dementia to a certain degree) dementia is possible at any age, depending on the cause.
What Happens as Dementia Progresses?
Diagnosing Dementia
Health care practitioners use various criteria to diagnose dementia. A full examination and evaluation is important to rule out other conditions such as infection, depression, or vitamin B12 deficiency.
Since dementia can have a huge effect on memory, reasoning, and judgment, it is very important for the health care practitioner to consult with family members as well, because they may be the only ones able to give an accurate history and assessment of the person’s ability to cope with daily life.
Steps in Making the Diagnosis of Dementia
Recognizing the Symptoms of Dementia
What Causes Dementia?
One of the most common causes of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
Other causes include:
- Degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease
- Medical conditions such as vascular disease (hardening of the arteries), brain tumors, strokes, severe head injuries
- Infections that affect the brain and spinal cord such as AIDS dementia complex and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Excessive drug and alcohol abuse
- Nutritional deficiencies such as folate and Vitamin B12 deficiency
Help for Dementia
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Treatment and caring for dementia varies from person to person and will depend on the specific type of dementia the person is experiencing.
The true aim of treatment is to control the symptoms of dementia, and an early diagnosis helps both the patient and caregiver make more informed treatment and management choices.
Most symptoms of dementia can be treated successfully using a combination of the available treatment methods including medication, alternative therapy, psychotherapy, and environmental modifications.
Often people are not aware that treatment options other than traditional drug therapy are available. Alternative treatments, including natural remedies, can offer a safe and effective treatment approach.
These alternative treatments are free of chemicals and propose a much lower risk of side effects, and can be safely incorporated into the broader treatment plan.