Dementia occurs when the brain becomes damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes. We can say that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but it is not the only cause. It is also called “manobhransh” in Hindi language.
Diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia are troubling a large number of people. Brain and nerve-related problems are being reported on a rapidly increasing basis globally. Due to Alzheimer’s disease, there is a memory problem and difficulty in talking. If it is not taken care of on time, it can cause dementia in serious situations.
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Due to this disease, problems like memory, language, ability to solve problems, and reduced thinking begin to occur. According to statistics, more than 55 million (5.5 crores) people globally may be victims of dementia.
It is normal to have such problems with increasing age, especially after the age of 60-65, the risk increases further. Researchers said that many bad habits of our daily routine can be responsible for this disease, about which all people must know and keep trying for prevention from an early age.
Risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia
Recent studies regarding the increasing risks of Alzheimer’s and dementia have found that this brain problem is being seen in many people even at the age of 55. 12 risk factors are considered to be responsible for 40 percent of such cases.
Among these factors, low levels of education, hearing problems, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive drinking, severe brain injury, air pollution, and social isolation are prominent. People suffering from such problems need to be more alert regarding this brain disease.
Most people know this disease as the disease of forgetfulness. Memory problem is not its only major symptom. Let us tell you that there are many serious and worrying symptoms of this disease, which affect every aspect of the life of people suffering from dementia. A person faces problems even in daily tasks and these problems increase with age.
The disease affects one in ten people over the age of 65 and one in four over the age of 85. People under the age of 65 are also prone to the disease in what is known as early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Pay attention to these risk factors also
The latest update added two more risk factors for this disease —vision loss and high cholesterol. The study says that if efforts are made to improve these 14 risk factors, then almost half of the cases of dementia worldwide can be prevented. Since there is no specific treatment for this brain disease yet, it is very important to keep using preventive methods from an early age.
What do experts say?
It’s not clear whether we will be able to eliminate any of these risk factors, says Charles Marshall, a neurologist at Queen Mary University of London. Many campaigns are already being run globally to reduce smoking and high blood pressure, although these are more a matter of self-awareness than campaigns.
We should not blame people with this disease for their brain disease, argues Tara Spiers-Jones, a neuroscientist at the University of Edinburgh. This problem can happen to anyone, many factors are considered responsible for it.
Symptoms of dementia
The main symptoms seen in a person suffering from this disease are:
- Loss of memory power, forgetting important things.
- Having difficulty thinking
- Inability to solve even small problems
- Go astray
- Change in personality
- Not being able to see a picture of an object and understand what it is
Difficulty in adding and subtracting numbers, difficulty in counting - Difficulty in self-management
- Difficulty with problem-solving or language and concentration
- Even people with dementia are not able to control their emotions. That means a change in mood or behavior.
- Hesitation in taking initiative etc.
- This disease can vary in severity from the mildest stage to the more severe stage where the person becomes completely dependent on others even for his daily tasks.
- Note: Many people suffer from memory loss but it does not mean that they have Alzheimer’s or other dementia, there can be many reasons for memory loss.
Reasons of dementia
When brain cells become damaged, then this disease can occur. Due to this, the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other is affected. It also impacts the thinking, behavior, and emotions of the victim.
This can also be explained this way: We all know that the brain is divided into parts and within it, each part performs various functions. When cells in a certain area get damaged, that area cannot perform its functions normally.
This disease can also be caused by head injury, stroke, brain tumor, or HIV infection.
Most of the changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and may worsen over time. If a person is diagnosed with conditions like depression, side effects of medicine, thyroid, vitamin deficiency, etc. then it should be treated timely.
Types of dementia
The symptoms of this disease and its progression depend on which type of dementia the person has. Common types of such disease that can be diagnosed are:
- Alzheimer’s disease: The most common type of this disease is Alzheimer’s disease. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is changes in the brain in which proteins are produced that damage the nerves. The size of the brain decreases in the person suffering from this.
- Lewy bodies dementia: This is a form of dementia caused by accumulating the protein alpha-synuclein in the cortex. Apart from memory loss and confusion, Lewy body dementia also causes sleep disorders, hallucinations, loss of balance, problems with other activities, and so on.
- Parkinson’s disease: It is a neurodegenerative condition, one of the nervous system injuries that may lead to this disease, and it could even resemble Alzheimer’s during its final stages. Due to this disease, other activities, such as driving, are difficult. But due to this some people also get dementia.
- Mixed dementia: This means that the person may have both Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia at the same time. But it also includes other types of dementia.
- Frontotemporal dementia: refers to a group of dementias that often cause changes in personality and behavior. This can also cause difficulty in understanding or speaking the language. Frontotemporal dementia can be caused by several conditions, including Pick’s Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
Dementia treatment
Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease yet and scientists are still searching for the causes of this disease. If cells in the brain stop working and it cannot be stopped, there is no cure yet for degenerative dementia.
Management of disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease focuses on care and treatment of symptoms, rather than its underlying causes. Therefore, the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced by some medicines.
This disease is usually caused by disturbances in the cerebral cortex, which is a part of the brain. It also helps in thinking, making decisions, and maintaining personality. When brain cells in these areas are destroyed, it causes cognitive impairment, which is characteristic of dementia.
Head injury, brain tumor, infection, hormonal disorders like thyroid disease, hypoxia (poor oxygen in the blood), metabolic disorders, drug addiction, etc. are some of the reasons that can increase the risk of developing this disease.
No specific treatment or effective medicine has yet been found for dementia. But since the beginning of last year, two Alzheimer’s treatments have been approved in the United States—Biogen’s lecanumab and Eli Lilly’s donanemab. These drugs target the formation of two proteins (tau and amyloid beta), which are considered to be one of the main causes of disease progression. However, research is still going on to know how effective they are.
Health experts said that if measures are taken to control this problem from adulthood, this disease occurring in old age can be prevented.
Disclaimer
All the articles published in “Health Alpha” are prepared based on various sources like doctors, the internet, experts, and books. The facts and information mentioned in the article have been checked and verified by Health Alpha.
All instructions have been followed while preparing this article. The related article has been prepared to increase the information and awareness of the reader. Health Alpha does not make any claims nor take any responsibility regarding the information and information provided in the article.
For more information about the related diseases mentioned in the above article, consult your doctor and do not take any medicine without medical advice.
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