Can I be suffering from it and do not know it yet?
What is dementia?
Dementia is a general term we often use to refer to a big spectrum of symptoms associated with mental deterioration. Affecting the brain cells, dementias are usually manifested in people age 65 and older.
An example of the diseases that this spectrum holds is Alzheimer’s, which is the most famous kind of dementia, and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. A person with Alzheimer’s can also be diagnosed with another forms of dementia. This conjunction is known as mixed dementia.
The characteristics found within the spectrum of dementia are:
- Cognitive impairment. Cognitive abilities include orientation, language, memory, attention, planning, and thinking. Impairments to these abilities are easily noticed and can seriously affect an individual’s daily life.
- They are progressive. Cognitive abilities will face a deterioration process over time. There is no set time for this to occur, as it varies from one patient to another. Some of them can go a few decades with this process, but for some others, it is a matter of just a few months.
- They have no cure. Even though there are some pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatments, that delay the process of deterioration, there is no cure for dementia. Once we are diagnosed, it will accompany us for the rest of our lives. We should better start getting along with it, right?
Can I be suffering from any forms of dementia and do not know it yet?
Some of the symptoms that the dementia spectrum bears include:
- Aggressiveness.
- Loss of mental alertness.
- Impulsiveness.
- Sleep disorders.
- Memory loss.
- Forgetting important dates, birthdays, names, and addresses.
- Getting lost of having orientation problems.
- Losing things.
Some of these behaviors can be considered normal in older adults and appear as a consequence of natural cognitive impairment. There’s a scale to measure it, and it can go from mild to severe.
The scale takes into account the frequency of symptoms and how they affect the person’s life.
In some cases, it never worsens. In few cases, patients can even recover and getter better in time. But there are other cases, where the symptoms get worse and affect almost every area of the individual’s life, as easy daily activities turn complex. It is in those cases that we can start talking about some kind of dementia.
However, diagnoses must be confirmed by imaging studies and clinical trials.
Family members suffer from the disease too!
It is important to understand that dementias do not affect the patient only.
People with dementia are not always aware of the magnitude of the problem, but their families are. It is usually them who first ask for help.
The deterioration of cognitive abilities can also be present as low self-care from the patient. This can lead to accidents where they harm themselves, the people around them, or where they produce any other kind of damage.
Because of the loss of mental alertness and rationality, they can also be easy prey for frauds and assaults. Living with Alzheimer’s or any other forms of dementia can make us very vulnerable.
For these reasons, patients must be under constant care and surveillance. Usually, the caregiver role is adopted by one of the family members, who ends up holding the responsibility for the patient’s well-being.
Being a caregiver is never an easy job. Caregivers can face a lot of stress, frustration, and even sadness and depression.
The patient may sometimes forget who the person beside them is, or start arguments with them for no reason.
They should be aware of the patient’s body language as they can act impulsively. They’re in charge of food and drug administration, and tasks of their care such as brushing and showering.
Patients can also get lost easily, so surveillance must be constant, which, can be exhaustive for the caregiver.
In this sense, caregivers must also be taken care of, as they can potentially become a second patient and they would probably need to be treated too.
Causes of dementia and treatments
Symptoms of dementia start as evidence of brain cells deterioration. There is not just one cause for dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most frequent reason for dementia cases, but it is not the only one. The genetic factor might also be present as a cause, especially when it is diagnosed in young people.
It can be prevented to some extent. By cultivating good habits, such as physical activity and good nutrition, and avoiding harmful ones, such as smoking, we can be contributing to the well-being of our brain and delaying cell deterioration.
The patient might be suffering from other diseases when they are diagnosed with dementia, or they can come out in clinical trials after diagnosis. It is important to pay attention to kidney ailments, diabetes, or hypertension, as they should be equally treated.
As we mentioned before, from the biomedical sphere, most dementias have no cure. But there are pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatments that can improve its symptoms.
Pharmaceutical treatments include prescription drugs. Non-pharmaceutical treatments often stand for habit tracking and habit changing.
Establishing a routine. Simplifying activities. Taking care of the senses. Walking often. Sunbathing. These are just some of the habits that can improve the quality of life of a dementia patient. Also, creating an appropriate environment to prevent falls, such as avoiding stairs, avoiding objects like mirrors, knives, dolls, stimulant drinks (especially at night) and never doing self-medication.
A health insurance program would be very helpful in the case of being diagnosed with any forms of dementia. Elders in the U.S can enjoy the benefits of a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), offered by Medicare-approved private health companies and providers. Part C or MA includes all parts of Medicare: Part A and part B; hospital and medical insurance. And most of them also include Part D, which stands for prescription drug coverage. Centers for Medicare Medicaid can provide information about which one should be the most adequate plan for you.
Early detection is decisive as it affects the effectiveness of the treatments. So please, do not hesitate to visit your doctor if you think you’re experiencing a considerable cognitive impairment.
