Vascular Dementia Treatment

One of the most common forms of dementia is vascular dementia. As you are aware, there are several kinds of blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain for its daily functioning. This condition occurs when some, or many, of these blood vessels are impaired. These blood vessels may be completely blocked, or they may get constricted. People over the age of 65 are known to be more vulnerable to develop this condition. As mentioned earlier, there are a few treatment options for vascular dementia. This is why prevention is crucial and is the best way out. Before we go through the treatment part, here is a short info on the causes and symptoms of the disorder.

Indicants and Causes of Vascular Dementia

As multiple sections of the brain may get affected, the symptoms may vary from person to person. These symptoms may occur suddenly and worsen rapidly. In some people, this might exhibit a general pattern. The general symptoms which are usually observed in patients include:

• Memory problems
• Agitation for no real reason
• Depression
• One common sign is the inability to think in an organized manner.
• Problems in communication
• Low on concentration
• Urinary incontinence
• Wandering at night
• Frequent urination
• Changes in personality and mood
• Hallucinations
• There might be symptoms that mimic those that occur during a stroke. These are muscle weakness, paralysis of one side of the body, etc.

Coming to the causes, as mentioned, complete blockage of the blood vessels in the brain, or narrowing of the same, may be the cause of this type of dementia. The first cause, that is, complete blockage usually causes a stroke. And when the blood vessels, get narrowed, the brain starves for oxygen. Other causes, as found out by experts, may include extreme cases of low blood pressure, damage to the brain or blood vessel damage.

How is Vascular Dementia Treated?

This condition is incurable. Also, no standard drugs exist for its treatment. However, medications that are used for symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, are known to help reduce the symptoms to some extent. One of these medications helps in boosting the level of a chemical messenger that is involved in memory and judgment. The other type works to improve the information processing, storage and retrieval process in the brain. Note that, all these drugs, have not been approved by the Food and Drug Association for the treatment of vascular dementia.

Another possible treatment method for this ailment is to avoid its triggers. For instance, as mentioned, severe condition of high blood pressure tend to be one of the causes of the condition. So taking medications and other measures to keep blood pressure under control, may help in manage the symptoms. However, it is to be known that, all these measures come to no use for retaining the cognitive function that has been lost. They may only slow down the progress of the disease.

Given the lack of adequate treatment measures available for vascular dementia, taking measures to prevent it is the only way out. This can be done by keeping a healthy blood pressure, maintaining normal cholesterol levels, quitting smoking, and controlling diabetes.