Dementia in the Elderly

Dementia mostly affects people who are 70 - 80 years old. However, the condition may strike in the mid sixties and can even affect younger people. It is not necessary that once a person grows old, he runs a risk of developing dementia, as most elderly people do not suffer from this illness. What I did not mention, as yet, is that it would not be appropriate to refer dementia as a specific ailment. In fact, it is characterized by a group of symptoms which are known to affect the intellectual and social abilities of a person. These symptoms are severe enough to hamper or disturb the normal day-to-day activities of the sufferer. There are many types of dementia that commonly affect the elderly, Alzheimer's disease, being the most common of all.

Signs that Indicate Onset of Dementia

Symptoms of dementia in the elderly depend upon the cause of the condition. However, symptoms which are known to be occur commonly in all cases of dementia include forgetfulness (forgetting the names of family, friends, or where they live, etc.) or memory loss, difficulty in learning new things or remembering them and facing difficulty in planning stuff and keeping them in an organized manner. The affected person is often observed to have a tough time communicating with others and losing control on his coordination and motor functions. The condition may also be indicated by symptoms such as abnormal changes in personality traits, inability to reason or rationalize things, and developing an appropriate behavior. Paranoia, incontinence, immobility, depression, agitation and hallucinations may also indicate the development of this condition, when accompanied by the others, mentioned above.

During the early stages of dementia, the condition is quite difficult to diagnose, given its symptoms that can be caused by other conditions. So, as the symptoms go from bad to worse, it can be inferred that the condition is deteriorating and the stages have progressed further. For instance, if the sufferer exhibits a complete loss of recognition of his friends and family members, then it is one of the indications of dementia to have reached a severe stage. One of the signs which may indicate that the affected person is no more able to fight the disease and nearing his end, is his inability to move unassisted, absence of appetite, etc.

What Causes Dementia?

There are several factors which are diagnosed to be the causes of dementia. Out of these, some can be reversed and some cannot. The reversible causes include disorders related to the immune system, infections, nutritional deficiencies, poisoning, brain tumors, and heart and lung problems. Also, causes like subdural hematomas, abnormalities of the endocrine system, medicinal side effects, metabolic problems and condition such as anoxia are reversible.

Talking about irreversible causes, they include medical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, Huntington disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Pick disease.

Treatment

Dealing with dementia in the elderly involves managing reversible causes and slowing down the progress of the irreversible ones. Prescription drugs which are commonly used include Cholinesterase inhibitors (serve the purpose of enhancing chemical messengers involved in memory and judgment), Memantine (Namenda) (boosting learning and memory) and other medications for managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, blood clots, anxiety, insomnia and diabetes. People suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cannot be helped with any kind of treatment. For them, their friends and family members are advised to take care that the patient is comfortable.

Dementia can be prevented, or delayed in its development by adhering to some basic requirements. The more active a mind stays, the less it runs the risk of getting affected by dementia. Inculcating brain stimulating activities such as puzzles, reading, writing, painting or drawing, and anything which can keep the mind busy, provide a great deal of help. Being active physically and socially, keeping a check on cholesterol levels and diabetes, maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular vaccinations on time are the other ways by which the onset of dementia can be delayed or might as well be prevented from occurring altogether.

It has been found that young and elderly people who pursue education or keep learning new things everyday, have lower incidence of mental decline and brain abnormalities like dementia.