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DEMENTIA

The decline in cognitive function refers to Dementia. Dementia is one of the most common reasons for mental disorders in Ireland. In order to consider dementia, a mental impairment must affect at least two functions of the brain. These impairments range from severe to mild. The disease may affect the brain’s memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. Dementia is generally caused due to a variety of injuries or illnesses. Remember, dementia is not a disease. Dementia gradually increases and becomes worse as time passes. It has several types out of which some are treatable while some are reversible. The disease can also cause personality changes. Here we will discuss in detail about the disease.

Causes of Dementia

Dementia is caused by many reasons but most commonly, it is caused as a result of degeneration of neurons or disturbances in the other body systems that are related to neuron function. Some conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are results of it. Some other causes include Parkinson’s disease, medication side effects, chronic alcoholism, and certain tumors or infections of the brain.

In addition to all of these, another main cause of dementia is temporal lobar degeneration that directly causes damage to the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes. Other conditions or causes are listed below:

• Structural brain disorders, such as normal-pressure hydrocephalus
• Metabolic disorders, such as hypothyroidism and vitamin B-12 deficiency.
• Toxins, such as lead

Types and Stages of Dementia

In most of the cases, dementia is radical. So stages surely exist. Dementia has several types. Dementia has four stages. The development of this disease depends upon the victim. These stages include mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia, moderate dementia, and severe dementia. All of these stages have different symptoms and treatments. Different types of diseases cause different types of dementia. The most common types of dementia are listed below:

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Vascular Dementia
• Lewy body dementia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Frontotemporal dementia

Symptoms of Dementia

Some of the signs and symptoms associated with dementia are listed below:

• Not coping well with change
• Subtle changes in short-term memory-making
• Reaching for the right words
• Being repetitive
• Confused sense of direction
• Struggling to follow storylines
• Changes in mood
• Loss of interest
• Confusion
• Difficulty completing an everyday task

Testing and Treating Dementia

There is no single test that can determine dementia. However, a healthcare provider will use a series of tests and exams. These tests include a throughout medical history, a careful physical exam, laboratory tests including blood tests, a review of symptoms, and a family history. Using all this, the doctor can determine whether you are having dementia or not. But it may not be possible to find out the exact type of dementia. Because the symptoms of types of dementia are mostly the same and common. A neurologist can help you in diagnosing and treating Dementia.

In order to treat Dementia, two methods are used generally. These are either by medication or by non-drug therapies. In the medication method, two types of medicines are used, Memantine and Cholinesterase inhibitors. While the non-drug therapies include modification of your environment, modification of common tasks, and Occupational Therapy.