Dementia Treatment: Stave Off The Progression

What is Dementia?

Dementia is not a specific disease, instead, it is an overall term describing a wide range of symptoms associated with a decrease in thinking skills and memory severe enough to decline a person’s ability in performing day to day activities.

According to the research studies, About 10 percent of the world’s population aged between 65 and 74 years and one-fourth people aged above 85 have some or other form of dementia. It is estimated that the number of people being diagnosed with such a debilitating is increasing.

Hence, gaining an in-depth knowledge about the illness, such as what signs to look for, dementia causes, types and information about dementia treatment can help in early interventions.

Dementia symptoms

Dementia can point up to specific symptoms that include-

• Recent memory loss (usually short-term initially)- one of the sign can include asking the same question repeatedly
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks – for example, cooking a meal or making a drink
• Language and communication problems- a difficulty with language; using wrong words or forgetting simple words/ difficulty in finding the right words
• Disorientation – getting lost on an earlier familiar street
• Problems with general thinking – for instance, dealing with money.
• Misplacing things – misremembering the location of everyday items such as keys, or wallets, for example
• Mood changes – Change in emotions and behaviors. Also unexplained sudden changes in outlook
• Personality changes – irritable, fearful, suspicious
• Loss of energy – showing less interest in beginning something or going somewhere.
• Poor judgment and reasoning skills
• Inability to pay attention or focus on tasks
• A decline in visual perception.

Managing tasks- such as carrying or planning out various steps to complete a task- may become difficult, and orientation of day, time, date or location may decline. The illness is typically progressive that can lead to a decline in the functioning of the person over time. While dementia symptoms can vary greatly, the condition can be significantly be based on what is causing dementia.

Types of Dementia

There are different types of dementia that include Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal degeneration, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, vascular disease, and Parkinson’s dementia. Each of them shows up different symptoms and behaviors. A brief explanation about each of them are given below-

To know in more detail about the types of dementia click here.

Dementia Causes

There is no one cause of dementia. The condition may result from degeneration of brain cells/ neurons or due to the disturbances in the body that affect how these cells function. Neurodegenerative means that cells gradually stop to function thus resulting in dysfunction.

Also other there are other conditions such as structural brain disorders, metabolic disorders, such as vitamin B-12 deficiency, and also liver and kidney diseases can cause the condition.

How can Dementia be treated?

Dementia is preventable and it will be reassuring to know that there are treatments available to improve the memory and brain functions. Dementia treatment includes:

Medications:

There are drugs available for improving brain functioning. A combination of medication such as antipsychotics medications, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications can help in the improvement of behavioral and cognitive symptoms. Antipsychotic medication for dementia treatment can be effective in overcoming persistent feelings of aggression. Anti-anxiety medication help reduce feelings of agitation and restlessness. Likewise, antidepressant medication eases the symptoms of depression in someone with dementia.

Psychotherapy:

Particularly, behavioral approaches and therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy can help in reducing the severity of problematic and uncertain behaviors in people with dementia, such as aggression. It even recognizes the triggering elements of this behavior and helping with devising an intervention and coping strategy that can be effective in managing them.

Support groups:

These are a popular form of assistance and guidance for family members who are also serving as the primary caretaker of a loved one with dementia. They allow members to share their experiences, and even more importantly, provide a break to socialize themselves with others in similar circumstances.

Occupational therapy:

It teaches all the coping behaviors. The purpose is to prevent events, such as falls; manage behavior; and prepare your loved one for dementia progression.