Alzheimer's and Dementia - What's the Difference?
Alzheimer's and Dementia - What's the Difference
?
Because Alzheimer'sdiseaseis the most common form of dementia, people often commonly use that term to mean any kind ofgeneral dementia. But there are many other causes of dementia besides Alzheimer's Disease. Dementia is a very broad, general term used to describe the brain's intellectual impairment, impeding our ability to carry out the skills necessary for everyday living. Examples are loss of memory and language skills, lack of judgment, and complex motor skills. Dementia is not a disease. Alzheimer's is.
Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that involves specific abnormalities of the brain. It's a progressive, degenerative disease caused by the death, or permanent dysfunction of brain cells. Alzheimer's patients usually start by losing their memory, and eventually progress to the pointof losing their overall mental and physical functioning. The causes are still unknown and there is no specific treatment available to cure it, or even to stop the progressive death of the brain cells. The best wehave at this point are medicines that slow the progression of the symptoms.......help hold the line. There is no reversal, no going back.
Estimates put the number of Americans with Alzheimer's at approximately five million people. It's the seventh leading cause of death in our country. Yet Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. There is no wayto diagnose it with 100% accuracy, except by an autopsy after death. Saying that, however, a clinician today can diagnose Alzheimer's with approximately 90% accuracy.
Since no one can see the abnormalities of the brain, a doctor will employ several steps in making a diagnosis. Often the first step is to take the patient's medical history, speaking directly to the patient and carefully listening for answers.A thorough physical examination may come next. Laboratory tests, such as for blood and urine, are ordered. Special neuropsychological tests are given, often by a specialist, to measure memory, problem solving skills, and language usage. Finally, a CT scan or an MRI may be given. Both
these scans provide a look at large-scale brain structure. The small-scale abnormalities caused by brain cell death in Alzheimer's cannot be seen with these scans, but it is hoped that newer scans will be developed in the future to accomplish that.
To give a better picture ofdementia, I've listed other conditions that may cause result in its onset. Here are five:
1) Various diseases that destroy brain cells, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or Huntington's chorea
2) Medical conditions that block the flow of oxygen to the brain, such as suffering a stroke
3) Dehydration, very poor nutrition, and drug and/or alcohol abuse
4) Trauma to the head, or repeated brain injury
5) Illnesses that affect the central nervous system such as brain tumors, depression, or Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (mad-cow)
Arm yourself with information. Check out the website for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. Remember, knowing is half the battle.
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