Dementia is an uncomfortable subject to talk about, particularly when it affects a loved one.
Throughout
the world, there’s something of a stigma surrounding dementia. That
certainly isn’t helpful, since the syndrome is extremely common. An
estimated 47 million people worldwide are living with some type of
dementia, per the World Health Organization, and that number will likely increase to 75 million by 2030. The WHO expects the number to triple by 2050.
Contrary
to popular misconception, dementia isn’t a standardized syndrome.
Different types of dementia affect the brain in very different ways, and
as a result, some people ignore the early symptoms in themselves or
their loved ones. Generally, dementia is progressive, so it gets worse
over time, but early detection can greatly improve a patient’s quality
of life.
Before
we discuss some of these early warning signs, however, we should note
that dementias share symptoms with other conditions. Only a qualified
physician can make an actual diagnosis, and articles like this one
aren’t intended as a replacement for a visit to the doctor’s office.
“Sound bytes don’t work for these types of discussions,” Dr. Roselyn G. Smith tells HealthyWay. Smith is a clinical psychologist
and Fulbright specialist working in Pinecrest, Florida. “The research
is far more complex than that—we can’t just take one symptom and follow
it to a diagnosis.”
With that said, Smith notes that awareness is crucial, particularly for
people with elderly loved ones. By obtaining a diagnosis in the early
stages of dementia, patients can start treatment earlier, and in some
cases, stop the progression of symptoms entirely.
Unfortunately, dementia isn’t a simple condition, and there are a lot of misconceptions. For example…
1. Memory loss is a common symptom, but different types of memory loss can mean different things.
Memory
loss is closely associated with dementia, so it’s the symptom that most
people think about when considering the diseases that cause
dementia—Alzheimer’s, for example. However, physicians now know that
memory loss doesn’t always occur in precisely the same way.
Full Article & Source:
5 Early Signs Of Dementia (And Why Everyone Should Know Them)
2 comments:
Thank you for constantly educating people. Dementia and Alzheimer's awaits almost all of us.
Awaits almost all of us? Where did you get your information? The pharmaceutical industry?
Post a Comment