Conditions and Diseases

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may share common symptoms but there is a marked difference between these two problems of aging. Everyone as they age may lose their keys and may have some problems remembering facts and figures. For many older Americans, this is a common sign of aging. Dementia is a serious brain disorder that covers a wide spectrum of cognitive problems while Alzheimer’s disease has unique physical and brain conditions that other dementia disorders do not share.

Dementia is a common problem in the elderly population. It is estimated that as many as four million Americans live with some degree of dementia. The symptoms of dementia can be described as a collection of symptoms that indicate that the thinking process is deteriorating.

These symptoms affect the individual in a variety of ways but they all the symptoms of dementia have a devastating affect on the quality of life. Individuals suffering from dementia lose some of their ability to carry out daily activities. One effect of the disease is that a key brain chemical acetylcholine is lost. The loss of this important chemical can contribute to some of the symptoms of both dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Acetylcholine is produced in several locations in the brain including the basal forebrain. It thought that this chemical promotes learning. Acetylcholine-producing cells in the basal forebrain are damaged in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which are believed to contribute to the loss of memory which are an early symptom of the disease.

Dementia is also caused by the destruction of brain cells. The destruction may be caused by a head injury, a stroke, or a brain tumor. Some people have a family history of dementia. Dementia may also change a person’s mood and personality. As the dementia progresses, mood swings and other disruptive behaviors may become apparent. The person who has dementia may not be aware of these problems.

Some of the signs or symptoms of dementia may include:

• Problems with memory
• Problem with orientation
• Having difficulty making plans
• Difficulty with dressing
• Difficulty with common tasks,
• Making a phone call,
• Using cooking utensil
• Difficulty performing simple math problems
• Difficulty with language

Dementia-like symptoms can also develop as a result of other lifestyle condition, such as alcohol or substance abuse, vitamin deficiency and certain infectious diseases. Although Alzheimer’s Disease accounts for nearly 60 percent of all dementia cases; all cases of dementia are not Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is a unique brain disorder that affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Alzheimer’s usually begins after age 60.

It is important to classify the type of dementia that the patient is experiencing. An appointment with a health care specialist to confirm a specific diagnosis. Some forms of dementia can be successfully treated with drugs. Once the patient and the family understand what is causing the dementia-like symptom, a treatment plan to address the root cause can be put in place.

For more information on alzheimers statistics, treatment, caregiving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alzheimers disease early symptom detection.