Many of us may from time to time, forget our neighbour's name or the items to buy at the grocery store, and we wonder if this is part of general aging. Your doctor is the best man to speak with regarding these concerns. There are many conditions that are treatable that may be contributing to periodic memory lapses.
Often when we think of dementia we think of Alzheimer's disease. While Alzheimer's disease is considered to be the basal cause of in the middle of 60 and 80% of all dementia cases, there are also other conditions that might cause dementia. It is leading to know about the other types and causes of dementia because medicine can vary in the middle of diseases and early detection can be beneficial in slowing the progression of incurable dementias.
According to Dr. Harvey Gilbert, Md of the Gilbert Guide, (www.gilbertguide.com some of the most tasteless types of dementia and their causes are:
1. Vascular Dementia
This type of dementia is the second most common. It is caused by poor blood flow to the brain, depriving brain cells of the nutrients and oxygen they need to function normally. Vascular dementia can be caused by any whole of conditions which narrow the blood vessels, together with stroke, diabetes and hypertension.
2. Mixed Dementia
Sometimes dementia is caused by more than one healing condition. Most commonly, mixed dementia is caused by both Alzheimer's and vascular disease.
3. Dementia with Lewy Bodies (Dlb)
Sometimes called Lewy Body Disease, this type of dementia is characterized by abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies that organize in nerve cells in the brain stem. This disrupts the brain's capability to function usually and impairs cognition and behavior. It can also cause tremors and is often associated with Parkinson's Disease and dementia. It is not reversible and there is no known cure.
4. Parkinson's Disease Dementia (Pdd)
Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurological condition, and in its later stages can work on cognitive functioning. Not all citizen with Parkinson's disease will organize dementia, however. This type of dementia is also a lewy body dementia. Symptoms contain tremors, muscle stiffness and speech problems. Reasoning, memory, speech, and judgment are also usually affected.
5. Frontotemporal Dementia
Pick's disease is the most tasteless and recognized form of frontotemporal dementia. It is a rare disorder which causes damage to brain cells in the frontal and temporal lobes. This affects the individual's personality significantly, usually resulting in a decline in communal skills, along with emotional apathy. Unlike other dementias, Pick's disease usually results in behavior and personality changes occuring before memory loss and speech problems.
6. Creutzfeldt-Jacob Dementia (Cjd)
A degenerative neurological disorder, Cjd is also known as "mad cow disease". The incidence is very low, occurring in only about one in one million people. There is no cure. Caused by viruses, Cjd progresses rapidly, usually over a duration of any months. Symptoms contain memory loss, speech impairment, confusion, muscle stiffness and twitching, and a general lack of coordination, which makes the individual susceptible to falls. Sometimes blurred vision and hallucinations also occur with this form of dementia.
7. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (Nph)
Normal pressure hydrocephalus involves an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain's cavities. When this fluid does not drain as it should, the associated build-up results in added pressure on the brain, interfering with the brain's capability to function normally. Individuals with dementia caused by general pressure hydrocephalus often feel problems with ambulation, equilibrium and bladder control, as well as cognitive impairments arresting speech, problem-solving abilities and memory.
8. Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease is an inherited progressive dementia that affects the individual's cognition, behavior and movement. Symptoms contain memory problems, impaired judgment, mood swings, depression and speech problems (especially slurred speech). Delusions and hallucinations may also occur. Individuals with Huntington's disease may also feel strangeness walking, and unruly jerking movements of the face and body
9. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is caused by a vitamin B1 (Thiamine)deficiency and often occurs in alcoholics, although it can also succeed from malnutrition, cancers, abnormally high thyroid hormone levels, long-term dialysis and long-term diuretic therapy (used to treat congestive heart failure). The symptoms contain confusion, permanent gaps in memory, and impaired short-term memory. Hallucinations may also occur. If treated early by supplement, this dementia can be reversed.
10. Mild Cognitive Impairment (Mci)
Dementia can be due to illness, medications and a host of other treatable causes. With mild cognitive impairment, an individual will feel memory loss, and sometimes impaired judgment and speech, but they are usually aware of this decline. These problems usually don't interfere with the general activities of daily living. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment may also feel behavioral changes that involve depression, anxiety, aggression and emotional apathy. This is often due to the awareness of and dissatisfaction associated to his or her condition.
With an comprehension of the types of dementia, questions begin to arise about how these diseases are diagnosed. What can a inpatient expect when trying to decree whether he or she has some form of dementia? What can a caregiver expect?
When you initially meet with your doctor, it is leading to be honest with them about the symptoms the inpatient is experiencing, their duration, frequency and rate of progression. The doctor will then report your current health status, family history and medication history. This includes evaluating the inpatient for depression, substance abuse and nutrition, and other conditions that can cause memory loss, together with anemia, vitamin deficiency, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, thyroid disease, infections, cardiovascular and pulmonary problems. The inpatient also undergoes a corporal exam and blood tests. Diagnosing definite diseases causing dementia can be difficult and it may be necessary to ask for a referral to a doctor with expertise in this area. Additional tests that may be used in conjunction with the aforementioned approaches contain the Mini mental State appraisal (Mmse), the Mini Cog Screen, and healing Imaging (Ct, Mri and Pet scans).
The Mmse is an appraisal of the patient's cognitive status. The inpatient is required to recognize the time, date and place where the test is taking place, be able to count backwards, recognize objects previously known to him or her, be able to repeat tasteless phrases, achieve basic skills arresting math, language use and comprehension, and demonstrate basic motor skills.
The Mini Cog Screen takes only a few minutes to administer, and is used as an initial screening for dementia. The inpatient is required to identifying three objects in the office, then draw the face of a clock in its entirety from memory, and finally, recall the three items identified earlier.
Finally, healing imaging helps doctors see images of the patient's brain to decree whether there are any growths, abnormalities or general shrinkage which occurs in Alzheimer's disease. These healing imaging tests can help improve the accuracy of a dementia determination to 90%.
Once a determination has been made, doctors can help patients to look at varied medicine options and can often furnish facts for caregivers and families about hold groups and organizations that can furnish them with facts about their definite diagnosis. It is recommended that patients and their families try to learn as much as they can about the disease and how it is improbable to progress. Organizations like Alzheimer's community of Canada or the Parkinsons Society can furnish necessary facts about the disease, its progression and tips on how to slow the progression of the disease and deal with symptoms. These organizations also furnish hold groups to both the inpatient and their caregivers to help deal with the blow of a dementia diagnosis. As mentioned earlier, early detection is often key in being able to reverse or slow the progression of many of these diseases. Having a basic comprehension of the many dementias that may occur and how they are diagnosed will be beneficial to physicians and families alike.
If you find that you simply do not know where to begin or how to handle this change in status and what it means for your future, a Geriatric Care employer can help you in development plans for the future.
