Dementia is a medical term referring to the gradual loss of cerebral functions that generally occurs with approaching age. It is usually associated with certain diseases that eventually disrupt normal brain activity by damaging brain cells. Dementia generally begins with mild cognitive dysfunction/degeneration and progresses with age to the point of reducing a person to an almost vegetative state with complete loss of basic cognitive abilities. 

Bad Effects

Dementia has an adverse affect on thought processes, language skills, behaviour and memory, perception, learning, judgement and concentration. People suffering from dementia have difficulty in multitasking, problem solving, taking decisions, analyzing, calculating and in recognizing familiar routes and objects. Dementia patients also have difficulty in writing or reading and are not able to sense danger. As dementia worsens, a person might experience problems in performing certain basic tasks (such as driving or cooking). Other complications include forgetting the recent past, losing self-awareness (forgetting facts about one's early life), losing sense of time, hallucinating and displaying aggressive/unsocial behaviour.

In a state of severe dementia, a person is unable to perform such basic tasks as eating, bathing and dressing. He/she can't recognize people, can't understand speech and can't communicate verbally with family members. At this stage, the patient's quality of life deteriorates to a large extent and he/she needs round-the-clock monitoring and attention. Other visible symptoms of severe dementia include extreme exhaustion and apathy, loss of muscle mass, difficulty swallowing and complete immobility to the point of permanent confinement to bed.

Causes

Certain ailments such as Huntington's disease (hereditary disorder involving degeneration of nerve cells), multiple sclerosis (autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system), Lyme disease (bacterial infection caused by tick bite), progressive supranuclear palsy (movement disorder due to damage to brain cells), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (death of brain cells caused by infectious agents), Parkinson's disease (degenerative illness of the central nervous system) and Alzheimer's disease are some of the major causes of dementia. Traumatic brain injury, alcoholism and hypothyroidism (hormonal imbalance associated with the thyroid gland) are some of the other known complications that cause dementia. People having abnormal structures of protein in the brain are most likely to suffer from dementia during old age - a condition known as Lewy body disease.Minor strokes may also cause dementia. This is known as vascular dementia. Apart from these, medicines with adverse side-effects, lack of exercise and physical activity and nutritional deficiencies resulting from an unhealthy diet can also lead to dementia in later years.

Precautions

Early detection of disorders that might lead to dementia is the best precaution against this degenerative disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of brain injury, brain tumours, metabolic disorders, hydrocephalus and alcohol addiction can significantly reduce risk of dementia. Controlling diabetes and blood pressure and eating a diet low in fat can greatly reduce risk of small strokes that might lead to vascular dementia. Early warning signs of memory loss and cognitive impairment, if addressed immediately, can prevent onset of dementia in later years. Daily physical exercise promotes cerebral health by supplying blood and oxygen to the brain, thereby reducing the risk of cell damage in the brain that can cause dementia. Besides these, one can also follow certain dietary precautions. It's always advisable to stick to a Mediterranean diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and nuts. These provide most of the essential nutrients that promote cellular health.

Treatment

Treatment of dementia can begin by diagnosing and treating the disorders that lead to dementia such as congestive heart failure, decreased blood oxygen (hypoxia), depression, heart failure, nutritional disorders, thyroid disorders, etc. Medications such as antipsychotics (Solian, Largactil, Lexapro), mood stabilizers (Lithicarb, Quilonum) and antidepressants (Endep, Faverin, Aropax) can greatly reduce behaviour problems and mental confusion that most dementia patients suffer from. Cholinesterase inhibitor drugs such as Donepezil, Rivastigmine and Galantamine can help in slowing down dementia, though their effects on patients are less perceptible. Memantine is a popular anti-dementia drug that is found to be particularly helpful for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Memantine hasa beneficial effect on dementia patients suffering from frequent mood swings and behaviour problems. Apart from these, mental exercises and certain non-drug therapies are also known to help dementia patients in improving their quality of life, particularly those suffering from mild dementia. Proper treatment should however be accompanied by constant monitoring, care and supervision from family members at home or by a professional medical staff at the hospital.


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