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Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging.

In fact, many older adults live their entire lives without developing dementia. Normal aging often includes weakening muscles and bones, and the stiffening of arteries and vessels. We may even joke about some age-related memory changes like occasionally misplacing car keys, struggling to find a word but remembering it later, or forgetting the name of an acquaintance. Nonetheless, knowledge and experiences built up over years, old memories, and language would stay intact.

What are the symptoms of dementia?

Common signs and symptoms include:

• Cognitive changes
• Memory loss, which is usually noticed by someone else
• Difficulty communicating or finding words
• Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
• Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving
• Confusion and disorientation
• Depression, anxiety, and/or paranoia
• Inappropriate behavior
• Agitation
• Hallucinations

What are the causes of dementia?

Dementia is caused by damage to, or loss of, nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that's damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms. Types of dementias that progress and aren't reversible include:

• Alzheimer's disease. This is the most common cause of dementia.
• Vascular dementia. This type of dementia is caused by damage to the vessels that supply blood to your brain.
• Lewy body dementia. This is one of the more common types of progressive dementia.
• Frontotemporal dementia. This is a group of diseases characterized by the breakdown of nerve cells and their connections in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
• Mixed dementia. Autopsy studies of the brains of people 80 and older who had dementia indicate that many had a combination of several causes, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia.

What are the risk factors for dementia?

• Age. The risk rises as you age, especially after age 65. However, dementia isn't a normal part of aging, and dementia can occur in younger people.
• Family history. Having a family history of dementia puts you at greater risk of developing the condition.
• Down syndrome. By middle age, many people with Down syndrome develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Is there anything I can do to prevent the onset of dementia?

There's no sure way to prevent dementia, but there are steps you can take that might help. More research is needed, but it might be beneficial to do the following:

• Keep your mind active. Mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, solving puzzles and playing word games, and memory training might delay the onset of dementia and decrease its effects.
• Be physically and socially active.
• Quit smoking.
• Get enough vitamins. Some research suggests that people with low levels of vitamin D in their blood are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
• Treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Lose weight if you're overweight.
• Treat health conditions. See your doctor for treatment of depression or anxiety.
• Maintain a healthy diet.
• Get good-quality sleep.
• Treat hearing problems. People with hearing loss have a greater chance of developing cognitive decline.

What to do if a loved one is suspected of having dementia?

Discuss your concerns with your loved one. See your medical provider about the observed changes soon. If you do not have a family medical provider, contact the CCMH Medical Clinic at 712-265-2700 to schedule a consultation.  

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