Dementia
Introduction
Contrary to popular belief, dementia in not a specific disease but rather a term representing several symptoms bought about by disorders affecting the brain. In this discussion, I look at what dementia is, its causes, symptoms, prevention as well as treatment.
Dementia overview
As stated earlier, dementia which involves the loss of cognitive ability in a person who has no previous history of mental impairment is much more about a wide range of symptoms and cannot be said to be a particular illness. Dementia is a brain disorder that is characterized by an individual’s inability to engage in various activities in their day to day life.
Causes of dementia
According to Draper (2004), some of the known leading causes of dementia include Stroke as well as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease commonly known as AD affects that part of the brain that is associated with the control of language, memory, as well as thought and it has been cited as the most common dementia form. Taking into consideration that AD affects parts of the brain responsible for memory control, individuals suffering from this disease might find it difficult recalling recent happenings or events including people’s names. It is a disease that gets worse with time and it may be characterized by failure to recognize very close people or forgetting how to perform even the most basic functions such as how to put on clothes.Stroke, the other common form of dementia comes about due to lack of blood flow to the brain leading to the death of brain cells. Stroke falls into two categories which include ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.Other known causes of dementia include an injury to the brain as a result of brain tumors or a fall resulting in brain injury and alcohol dependence on the long term. Dementia may also be caused by other diseases including Parkinson’s disease.
Symptoms of dementia
Dementia symptoms vary with regard to the cause as well as the brain area affected. The most common symptom however is memory loss. However this is experienced in the earlier stages of the disease. Other tale tell symptoms of dementia include inability to recall events as well as recognize close family members as well as friends, difficulty in expressing ones thoughts, inability to perform simple calculations which may be evidenced by difficulty in balancing the check book etc.Other symptoms of dementia include difficulty in the exercise of judgment i.e. the steps to take incase of a fire outbreak in the house, depression which may be followed by aggressive tendencies which are uncharacteristic of the individual suffering and lastly inability to care for oneself i.e. avoiding a shower etc.
Prevention of dementia
Dementia prevention may prove to be difficult because its cause may not be clear in the first place. However, some strategies may work to prevent dementia by improving the general health of a person. In that respect, it may be useful to prevent high blood (HBP) pressure. This can be achieved by trying to loose excessive weight, and limiting the consumption of alcohol as well as reducing the salt intake. For individuals who have had stroke, the treatment of HBP may prove useful in reducing the occurrence of another stroke. According to a recent research, those who participate in leisure activities that demand a considerable amount of mental effort on a regular basis have reduced chances of getting dementia.
Treatment of dementia
The treatment of dementia dependent on its cause and some causes of dementia are as a result of treatable medical conditions. In some cases, dementia cannot be reversed and hence treatment is geared towards making the affected persons life as comfortable as possible.If it is found that dementia is reversible, the doctor may require that the affected person takes vitamins for vitamin B12 Deficiency, take thyroid hormones, undergo surgery to remove brain tumor, take depression treatment medicines, change medications that may be triggering memory loss etc.
Conclusion
It is important to note that rather than dementia, memory loss may be caused by other conditions like stress and depression. Temporal bouts of memory loss may also be a normal aging process but if such memory losses persist, it may be time to give the doctor a visit.
References
Draper, B. (2004). Dealing with dementia: a guide to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Allen & Unwin
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