Dementia is a group of symptoms that affects memory, thinking, communication, language, reasoning and overall personality, and it becomes serious enough to interfere with daily life. In general terms, dementia is often described as a condition in which a person gradually loses their memory.
In broader terms, dementia affects memory, the ability to think and the ability to make decisions quickly. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. [1] Experts stress that while most types of dementia cannot be cured, timely diagnosis, proper care and treatment can help people live well for longer.
Common Symptoms of Dementia
The most common symptom is loss of memory. The person forgets recent information and events, and sometimes even their daily life activities too. But this does not mean memory loss is always dementia.
Sometimes memory loss is caused by something common and treatable, such as stress, anxiety, depression or sleeping problems. [2]
A person with dementia finds it difficult to find the right words at the right time. It affects the fluency of communication. The person becomes unable to think, speak and judge quickly. Sometimes the person keeps repeating the same words over a very short period of time.
Other symptoms include poor coordination and weakened judgement. Over time, the person may start behaving differently, and family members may find it hard to provide care. In all these situations, getting the person assessed by a doctor through standard tests for dementia diagnosis is vital.
Causes of Dementia
Dementia mostly affects older adults, although it is not a normal part of ageing. Damage to the brain cells causes dementia in most cases. Dementia and dementia-like symptoms can also have other causes, some of which are treatable, such as: [3]
- Degenerative neurological disorders such as Alzheimer
- Use of drugs or other substances for a long time
- Multiple strokes in the brain
- Infections that affect the central nervous system
- Anxiety and depression
- Any tumour in the brain due to serious injury or infections
- Lack of proteins and vitamins essential for human brain and memory
Living With Dementia: How Families Can Help
It is a sad but true fact that most types of dementia cannot be completely cured, although some causes, such as certain brain tumours or vitamin deficiencies, can be treated.
For progressive types such as Alzheimer's, the focus is on helping the patient manage daily-life activities. For that, specialist elder care support can make a real difference. Various therapies are used to help the patient. If your family has anyone living with dementia, keep these points in mind.
- A healthy lifestyle can help the patient stay well. Proper nutrition and sound sleep help. Yoga, meditation and exercise can support the patient's overall well-being.
- Near and dear ones should give proper love and care to the person. It helps them avoid feeling low or ashamed because of the illness. Moral support helps a lot.
- Communicating in simple words and gestures helps the person understand and act easily.
- The patient should be kept engaged in various activities so that they remain active. Problem-solving questions, reasoning games or puzzles can keep the patient occupied so that they don't sit idle thinking about the illness.
- Gardening, cooking, singing, dancing, painting and other indoor games make the patient happy and motivated and remind them that they can still do a lot in life despite the illness.
- The people close to the patient should never let them feel down. They should take help from the patient in various activities to make them feel useful.
- A calm, safe and familiar environment helps the patient feel settled and secure. A peaceful space can also make activities such as meditation easier.
Standard Tests for Dementia Diagnosis
To diagnose dementia, doctors go through the detailed medical history of the patient and use mental function tests to check memory and thinking. The brain may be scanned using a CT scan or MRI to check for a tumour, stroke or bleeding.
The doctor also looks for any other condition that may be causing the symptoms or making them worse. The cause might be severe depression, thyroid disease or a vitamin deficiency, so blood tests are part of the standard tests for dementia diagnosis. [4] Once the cause is found, the patient is treated accordingly.
Many people with dementia also need round-the-clock love, care and supervision, which can be difficult for families to manage alone. Our mental hospital in Bangalore offers dementia care and support for patients and their families, so no one has to face this journey alone.
