What is Dementia?

Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

What are Symptoms and signs of dementia?

Signs of dementia can vary greatly. Examples include problems with:

• Short-term memory.
• Keeping track of a purse or wallet.
• Paying bills.
• Planning and preparing meals.
• Remembering appointments.
• Traveling out of the neighborhood.

Dementia symptoms are progressive, which means that the signs of cognitive impairment start out slowly and gradually get worse over time, leading to dementia. If you or someone you know is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking skills, don’t ignore them. It needs doctor’s attention soon to determine the cause.

What is the causes of Dementia?

Dementia is caused by a variety of diseases that cause damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected.

The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for different functions (for example, memory, judgment and movement). When cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its functions normally.

Different types of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimer’s disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and to communicate with each other. The brain region called the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in the brain, and the brain cells in this region are often the first to be damaged. That’s why memory loss is often one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

While most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time, thinking and memory problems caused by the following conditions may improve when the condition is treated or addressed:

• Depression.
• Medication side effects.
• Excess use of alcohol.
• Thyroid problems.
• Vitamin deficiencies.