The early onset symptoms of dementia could be missed due to various reasons. Many people consult with their regular physician who may not know too much about dementia and its symptoms. A brief office visit is another factor; this short time does not give the patient and doctor enough time to connect to understand all the symptoms, duration, and review patient history. There are many other medical conditions that mimic dementia symptoms that make a proper diagnosis of dementia difficult.
Depression symptoms can mirror symptoms of dementia into stage 4. In this stage of dementia a person loses concentration, has difficulties managing the day to day activities, and starts to withdraw socially because it becomes difficult to do
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Lab work would shed light on a thyroid issue if hypothyroidism were the cause of symptoms. The doctor would be looking at the levels of TSH hormone in the blood. If test results fell within normal range, I would press the issue further as to why you are having such serious symptoms related to cognition. Hypothyroidism is usually not cured per say but can be managed pretty well to lead a productive life where medications for dementia have limited benefits, and there will be expected decline in mental and physical abilities.
Severe malnutrition could also mimic the symptoms of dementia. You would think it would be easy for a doctor to determine if a person is malnourished. Blood work would show dehydration or lack of nutrients needed in the body. The only way to rule out malnutrition is to look at vitamin B levels specifically. What if the doctor doesn’t check this? This condition which could easily be cured could be bypassed to a more severe condition that is not
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More specifically the hippocampus. Alzheimer’s dementia is most affected by shrinkage of the hippocampus, which makes it difficult to remember and store new and current events. Lewy body dementia research shows less shrinkage of the hippocampus. This suggest why there are different symptoms associated with each dementia. Shrinkage of the brain is caused by injury or death of brain cells. The white matter of the brain is also affected. Damage to white brain matter can disconnect the certain communications throughout the brain in turn affecting speech, movement, and
A proper diagnosis of dementia is essential, in order to rule out other conditions that may have symptoms similar to dementia and that may be treatable, including depression, chest and urinary infections, severe constipation and brain tumours . Also to rule out other possible causes of confusion, such as poor sight or hearing; emotional changes and upsets, such as moving or bereavement; or the side-effects of certain drugs or combinations of drugs. Folllow up diagnosis can enable a patient to access advice, information and support
During the onset of the disease, symptoms are usually non-existant, and progress slowly over the course of many years, often going unnoticed until they become more severe. Alzheimer's is somewhat difficult to diagnose, but there are some common symptoms to all patients. Memory loss occurs in all patients. The person may have trouble remembering small things such as phone numbers, or where he/she put the keys. Eventually, short term memory is lost, and only memories in the far past are able to be recalled. People with Alzheimer's can become disoriented and can get lost easily when out on their own. Mood changes also occur, and the person can be easily irritated or agitated by seemingly insignificant things. Cognitive deterioration also occurs, with the person losing the ability to understand spoken language or recall the meanings of different words (Grayson, "Recognizing Alzheimer's" 1). Despite these common symptoms, making a diagnosis is difficult since Alzheimer's patientscan display the same symptoms as a head injury or depression.
Dementia Syndrome is a condition caused by a set of symptoms. These symptoms can include but are not limited to: - memory loss, mood changes, communication difficulties, difficulty understanding or thinking.
The person may become confused when handling money and undergo personality changes, appearing to no longer care about those around them. Swings are common and the person may become tearful for no apparent reason, or become convinced that someone is trying to harm them.In advanced cases people may also adopt unsettling behaviour like getting up in the middle of the night or wander off and become lost. Some people lose their inhibitions and sense of what is acceptable behaviour, undress in public or make inappropriate sexual advances. The person may become incontinent, have difficulty eating and drinking and may become completely dependent on others.2. Symptoms usually develop suddenly and progress in a step like way where a sudden worsening is followed by a period of stabilisation. Common symptoms include poor concentration and difficulties with communication. memory loss may also lead to confusion.As vascular dementia does not affect all of the brain, the individual may be able to retain more of their abilities and memory loss may not appear until later in the progression of the disease. This means that the individual may be more aware of their deteriorating health and may therefore be more at risk of depression.3. Dementia with Lewy Bodies is a
a) Depression- individuals with severe depression suffer with poor memories and lack concentration. They will also become less motivated and become withdraw. These are all signs of dementia. A general practitioner may think that it is more likely that an elderly person is suffering from dementia than depression.
There are many types of dementia, causing many different symptoms and treatments, it may take time to find the appropriate treatment/medication to suit the individual.
for England (QCF) and Edexcel Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for Wales and
Doctors administer a variety of strategies to diagnose dementia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). It is extremely important that all treatable conditions first be ruled out, such as depression and Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can cause the same type of symptoms as dementia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). Timely and accurate diagnosis of dementia is extremely important for both the patient and their families because it allows early treatment of symptoms (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). A variety of tests are used to aid in the diagnosis process, such as neurological evaluations, in which doctors look specifically at patients’ balance, sensory responses, reflexes, and various other functions (National
FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- High doses of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine and berries, may have some activity against Alzheimer's disease, a preliminary clinical trial suggests.
Throughout this line of study, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific form of dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to hinder daily life. Memory loss is a symptom of dementia and the most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s. One of the most common and severe symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering newly learned information. The changes of Alzheimer’s normally begin in the part of the brain that affects learning (Overview Alzheimer's Association). Some other symptoms of Alzheimer’s include gradual memory loss, the decline in capability to carry out everyday tasks and the loss of their language skills. According to Bialystok the rate of
Malnutrition and vascular dementia are serious conditions that do not develop overnight, therefore there are signs and symptoms to recognize this risk before it escalates. The signs of dementia including forgetfulness, confusion and difficulty with everyday tasks (McGinley,
The most common symptoms of dementia are the following, memory loss, impaired judgement, inappropriate behavior, and loss of communication skills. There a many things that you
Dementia is characterized as a condition where the mental processes of cognition and memory start to deteriorate. It is described as a syndrome that hinders the daily lives of those who have it and is characterized by memory and thinking impairment. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease and the second most common is vascular dementia. Dementia is a syndrome occurring usually, but not limited, to people over the age of 40 and is due to brain damage caused by natural deteriorating, stroke or can be brought on by factors such as excessive drinking or drug abuse. Dementia is best cared for in its early stages and, therefore, an early diagnosis is essential. Recognizing the symptoms by both the dementia patient and the
Upon collecting and analyzing the medical information received, I have discovered that Type II Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Dementia, and Hypertension are all prevalent within my family. It seems that asthma has also been circulating in the family; however, those family members that have reported having symptoms of asthma in their early childhood years claim that their condition has dissipated over time. Further elaborating on each disease, Type II Diabetes involves the way the body metabolizes glucose, either resisting the effects of insulin or not producing enough insulin. Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones wears down over time. Dementia isn’t necessarily a specific disease, but instead encompasses
People who suffer from dementia may also be at risk of mal-nutrition. People with dementia rely on others to help them to organise their day to day life such as preparing their meals. People with dementia are at risk of mal-nutrition as they may not be physically able to provide themselves with a balanced diet, there may also be the issue that they are not able to remember whether they have eaten and therefore decide not to make themselves