Dementia is most commonly associated with memory loss, but that is only one of the many symptoms that come along with this form of mental illness. It is also one of the earliest symptoms of the disease, as the disease progresses, the symptoms become worse and worse and the activities of daily living become harder and harder for an individual complete. Dementia is generally caused by irreversible damage to the brain and its cells. With the brain cells unable to fully complete their specified functions and tasks, this interferes with their ability to work with one another, and essentially limiting brain function as it begins to deteriorate until it becomes non-existent. Everyday tasks such as reading, thinking, and comprehending become problematic.
“While everyone loses some neurons as they age, people with dementia experience far greater loss” (Wolf, 2014). Even though, dementia usually begins to occur in adults ages 60 and older, it is not a natural part of the aging process. There are different types of dementia, as well as different diseases that can produce the same affects and symptoms of dementia such as: depression, side effects of certain medication, excessive use of alcohol, thyroid problems, and even vitamin deficiencies can affect the brain and its function. The severity of the disease depends on the severity of brain cell damage in the “cerebral hemispheres of the brain” (Callone, 2006). Alzheimer's (AD) is a progressive disease, meaning that it worsens over time and begins slowly. In the beginning, the only symptom of AD might be minor lapses in memory, such as trouble remembering recent activities, birthdays, events or even the names of their favorite people. They may struggle to complete simple puzzles or math problems, or even remembering phone numbers. As the disease continues to progress, symptoms start to become more noticeable causing those that may be suffering from the disease to finally seek professional help. For those people that find themselves in the middle stages of AD, forgetting how to do everyday things like brushing teeth, ironing their clothes, or even grooming, becomes a problematic ordeal. As the disease progresses, they even begin to have problems with their speech and comprehending written and spoken word. People in the deepest stages of AD may even start to become anxious causing them to hallucinate or even go on the attack, during an aggressive episode, they may even begin to wander. For that reason, Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death here in the U.S. Although there are commonalities, each individual affected with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia experiences the disease uniquely, some individuals live on average of 4 to 8 years after being diagnosed, while others can live up to 20. Since “the disease progresses at its own rate, and the deterioration doesn’t happen in a step-by-step uniform process” there is no definite amount of life to live for any one individual (Callone, 2006). There are even a multitude of symptoms that come along with dementia, different forms, and dementia, but it is still a relatively new disease in terms of trials and research and there is still not a proven cure or treatment. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia with more than 5 million people in the country living with it. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia, is caused by injuries to the blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. These risks are increased for individuals that suffer from cardiovascular diseases, such as: hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes and furthermore for people who have suffered one or multiple strokes. This form of dementia can actually be prevented. Lewy body dementia is a combination of Lewy Bodies mixed with Parkinson’s dementia. A protein called alpha-synuclein builds up in areas of the brain that regulate mood, sleep, cognition, behavior, and even motor skills. It can also alter a person’s autonomous body functions such as blood pressure, body temp, and other bodily functions like going to the restroom. Lew body dementia also causes hallucinations. Frontotemporal dementia is caused by a group of diseases that attack and breakdown the nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which affect the areas that mainly encompass the personality of a person, their behavior, their emotions, their decision making skills along with their language. This form of dementia mainly strikes adults aged between 45 and 65. Mixed dementia is often discovered in individuals 80 and older, who have been found to have a combination of the dementia diseases such as VaD (vascular dementia), AD (Alzheimer’s disease), and other neurodegenerative diseases including PD (Parkinson’s dementia or disease) and LBD (Lewy body dementia). This form of dementia is the most popular form of dementia in elders 75 and older. Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that is often fatal. It’s a progressive disease that eventually causes vital nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord to deteriorate and the body begins to waste away or fall apart. It generally begins by affecting a person’s mental and motor skills and usually occurs early in life, usually around the 30’s and 40’s. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare and fatal brain disorder that affects every 1 out of 1,000,000 people around the world each year. The symptoms usually don’t occur until a person reaches their 60’s. Symptoms include extreme memory and behavioral changes, lack of coordination, visual hallucinations, uncontrollable movements, blindness, weakness of the extremities. Unfortunately, within a year of suffering from the disease 70% of those diagnosed pass away. Parkinson's disease Is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the brain’s substantia nigra, which is the part of the brain that creates dopamine producing neurons. These neurons greatly affect the non-motor skills of the individual suffering such as depression, constipation, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell and cognitive impairment.Dementia comes in many different forms, unfortunately none of them are curable, but thanks to medicine some are at least able to be medically treated, slowing the progression of the disease. Thankfully, the other related illnesses, that produce similar effects, can be cured, and the rest can be treated or prevented with proper lifestyle choices and habits being maintained. References Callone, P. R. (2006). A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease : 300 Tips for Making Life Easier. New York: Demos Health. Wolf, K. V. (2014). When It’s Not Alzheimer’s : Types, Treatment and Resources for Other Forms of Dementia. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Wolf, K. V. (2014). When It’s Not Alzheimer’s : Types, Treatment and Resources for Other Forms of Dementia. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Lee A. Y. (2011). Vascular dementia. Chonnam medical journal, 47(2), 66-71.
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