Monday, October 17, 2011

The Problems With Dementia And Alzheimer

Dementia is a medical condition which originates in the brain. It has many different impacts depending on the type of dementia and the person involved. We will ll discuss some of the causes, symptoms and treatments available for this significant global problem and also discuss about Alzheimer.

Dementia has many symptoms which can impact a loss of memory, deterioration in critical thinking, language skills, judgment and overall behavior.

In many cases, this problem is degenerative and the symptoms cannot be reversed. The changes are permanent and tend to get worse over time. A common form of dementia which exhibits these symptoms is called Alzheimer or Alzheimer’s disease.

There is another common form of dementia called Lewy body disease. It affects primarily elderly adults and is typified by unusual protein structures in different areas of the brain.

Dementia can also be caused by mild strokes. This kind of disease is called vascular dementia. There are also a number of medical conditions which can lead to dementia. This can include: Parkinson’s disease; MS; Huntington’s disease; Progressive suprauclear palsy; and infections of the brain such as AIDs or Lyme disease.

Certain types of dementia can actually be stopped or even reversed if found in the early stages. These types of dementia can be caused from brain tumors, blood sugar variations, excessive levels of sodium or calcium in the blood, low vitamin B12 levels, chronic alcohol abuse, or the use of certain medications including some cholesterol lowering drugs.

For the most part, dementia and Alzheimer affects people over 60 years of age. It occurs very rarely in younger adults. And the risk of developing this disease steadily increases as people grow older.

As people begin to develop the symptoms of dementia, they may exhibit forgetfulness. It can then progress in mild cognitive impairment. If the disease continues to progress, it can affect memory, judgment, and even impact the ability to perform mathematical functions.

It is important to note that even if people exhibit signs of mild cognitive impairment, it does not always lead to dementia. Therefore symptoms must be evaluated carefully so that proper diagnosis can be made which in turn should lead to the implementation of helpful treatments.

For most forms of dementia and for Alzheimer in general, there is no cure. However early detection is a good way to develop and implement the most effective treatments possible in order to delay the onset of more serious symptoms and provide the best possible relief for sufferers and their families.

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