In today's post I will be talking of something that is taking over the mantle of high rates from the most killing diseases like cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Dementia got my interest because I know of so many cases of this dangerous disease in my locality in which most other victims of this disease are not even aware of what they are facing. This post is aimed at enlightening the globe about dementia, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatments, risk factors and possible preventions.

What is dementia

Dementia is not a specific disease like Ebola, malaria and typhoid, it is a term used to describe all cases of brain cells damage leading to inefficient brain results, memory loss and problems of other thinking skills. Alzheimer is a very popular and common type of this syndrome, another type is the vascular dementia, it is the second most common type of this disease, it happens mostly to stroke patients. Other causes include thyroid problems and typhoid deficiencies. In most cases of this disease symptoms grow level after level, from less intense to very severe, hence the aim of this post is to create awareness for early observations for symptoms and early treatment if found.

Symptoms

Most of the symptoms and effect are mentally inclined, while others are as a result of the former, they include:

• Most of the time the very first and certain symptom is memory loss, it is confirmed in 95% of most cases. Such patients frequently loose memory of things like car keys, paying bills, wallets and purses, budget and the likes of these.

• If a person is discovered to be so easily distracted by very minor environmental factors or his own thoughts which are mostly unstable, then he is a potential dementia patient. Such should be taken for medical check up and examinations. This patients can't pay attention or focus on a discussion or lesson or movie at very short time intervals.

• At certain levels a patients visual perception may become deceiving and very poor, although this is a symptom associated with other defects, it should be examined by an expert.

• thus patients mostly judge and reason matters very oddly and abnormally at very regular cases.

All other symptoms like loss of balance, poor Smell perception etc. All depend on those listed above.

What is the cause of dementia

The symptoms treated above are all as a result of the damage of the brain cells if regions of the brain controlling this functions, e g when the centre of reasoning has lost very many cells, then poor reasoning sets in.
Nevertheless some cases of this disease are not permanent if they are caused by the following factors:

• Depression

• side effects from medications

• Thyroid deffects

• Vitamin deficiency

• And Alcohol

When this factors are controlled, the disease in this case is also controlled and eliminated over sometime.

Diagnosis

There is really no specific test to determine the presence and type of dementia, Doctors tend to use physical examinations and question, medical history and behaviour of such patients. Diagnosis of this nature do not necessarily specify the type of dementia, it is advisable to see specialist in that field like neurologist and gero-psychologist.
NB: WHO has posted publications for opportunities to volunteer as test patients for possible future and efficient cure

Treatment

No effective and absolute treatment has been discovered to cure this syndrome or stop its progressive property.

Risk Factors

Factors like age and genetic makeup if an individual are constant and can't be changed, but areas like the following below when improved can perform unbelievable miracles in most cases.

Cardiovascular factors

The blockage or fault of the carotid, cerebral or vetebral artery leads to insufficient blood and oxygen supply to relative parts of the brain hence brain cells are damaged.

Others are being physically fit and eating good diet to ensure constant supply and distribution of nutrients, blood and oxygen.

I conclude that constant and frequent medical checkups should be attempted and a good relationship should be kept with a qualified practitioner, that's how we play our own part on keeping ourselves alive

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