Most Common Causes of Dementia

Most Common Causes of Dementia

Most Common Causes of Dementia

Doctors use the word dementia in a special way. Dementia does not mean crazy. It has been chosen by the medical profession as the least offensive and most accurate term to describe this group of illnesses. Dementia describes a group of symptoms and is not the name of a disease or diseases that cause the symptoms.

Alzheimer disease is the most frequent cause of irreversible dementia in adults. The intellectual impairment progresses gradually from forgetfulness to total disability. There are structural and chemical changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer disease. At present, physicians know of no way to stop or cure it. However, much can be done to diminish the patient's behavioral and emotional symptoms and to give the family a sense of control of the situation.

Vascular dementia is believed to be the second most common cause of dementia. It usually results from a series of strokes within the brain. Sometimes these strokes may be so tiny that neither you nor the afflicted person is aware of any change, but all together they can destroy enough bits of brain tissue to affect memory and other intellectual functions.

People who have dementia may also have other illnesses, and their dementia may make them more vulnerable to other health problems. Other illnesses or reactions to medications often cause delirium in people with dementia. The delirium can make the person's mental functions and behavior worse. It is vital, for his general health and to make his care easier, to detect and treat other illnesses promptly. It is important to have a doctor who is able to spend the time to do this with you and the patient.

Depression is common in older people, and it can be the cause of memory loss, confusion, or other changes in mental function. The depressed person's memory frequently improves when the depression is treated. Although depression can also occur in a person with an irreversible dementia, depression should always be treated.

As more people in our population live into later life, it becomes crucial that we learn more about dementia. It has been estimated that 5 million people in the United States have some degree of intellectual impairment. A study estimated that Alzheimer disease alone cost the United States $100 billion.

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