Types of Dementia
Dementia is a medical condition that originates in the brain.
It has many different impacts depending on the type of dementia and the person involved.
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.
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.
Several medical conditions can lead to dementia.
This can include Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Progressive supranuclear palsy, and infections of the brain such as Lyme disease.
Huntington’s disease is a rare, inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown (degeneration) of nerve cells in the brain.
Huntington’s disease has a broad impact on a person’s functional abilities and usually results in movement, thinking (cognitive), and psychiatric disorders.
Certain types of dementia can be stopped or even reversed if found in the early stages.
These types of dementia can be caused by 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’s affect 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 Alzheimer’s in general, there is no cure.
However, early detection is a good way to develop and implement the most effective treatments possible to delay the onset of more serious symptoms and provide the best possible relief for sufferers and their families.
