What is dementia?

Article by Kay Luna

Dementia is not a specific disease. Instead, it is a general term for symptoms that impact intellectual and social abilities — such as memory loss — that are serious enough to interfere with daily life.
Such symptoms are caused by changes in the brain, according to an online explanation offered by the Mayo Clinic.
Different types of dementia exist, depending upon the cause, with Alzheimer’s disease ranking as the most common.
Some causes of dementia are treatable and even reversible, but there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which is “progressive and fatal,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Some slip-ups in terms of memory are normal, especially as people age, but watch for multiple warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease from this list that is available at www.alz.org.
- Challenges in planning or solving problems, particularly those involving numbers. This might include experiencing trouble following a familiar recipe or balancing a checkbook.
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Those dealing with Alzheimer’s might have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget or remembering the rules of a favorite game.
- Confusion with time or place. People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. Sometimes they might forget where they are or how they got there.
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. For some people, visual problems surface and they might have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. They might pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room instead of realizing the reflection is them.
- New problems with words in regards to speaking or writing. They might stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle to find the right word or call things by the wrong name (such as referring to a watch as a “hand-clock”).
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace their steps. Sometimes they may accuse others of stealing.
- Decreased or poor judgment. They might decide to give large amounts of money to telemarketers or pay less attention to personal hygiene.
- Serious changes in mood and personality. This could include withdrawal from work and social activities. Those impacted might become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They might blow up or say something rude at times when they usually would have been gracious.