As we know Dementia is not a normal part of ageing, it’s an umbrella term for a group of different diseases (Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body dementia etc). Contrary to common misconception, dementia is not just a mental condition affecting memory, it is a physical disease that affects people physically as well as in other areas of a person’s life.
Within the brain, nerve cells lose their connection to other nearby cells.
Dementia affects the following:
- Personality
- Intelligence
- Emotions
- Hopes and Fears
If these cells are in the back of the brain, the person affected may suffer from visual problems, walking up stairs or reading your favourite book could be very challenging due to this. Communication and language skills can change vastly if the sides of the brain lose their abilities to work correctly.
Symptoms of the four main dementia diseases often overlap, which makes it really difficult to differentiate between them. Memory loss, confusion, personality changes, communication difficulties and reasoning problems often occur in various types. The hippocampus in the brain is often affected in the earlier stages of dementia, which makes it extremely challenging for a person to navigate or remember things of regarding short-term memory.
Researchers are still trying to find out, what actually causes the incurable disease. It is most likely that a mix of age, damage to proteins, genetics and poor heart health are the reasoning behind it. Unfortunately, no treatment has yet been found to cure or slow down the impacts affected people have to live with.
My earlier post from January depicting Alzheimer’s Research UK’s video illustrates the above.
Featured Image: Alzheimer’s Research UK.
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