Short Essay On Dementia

Dementia is a cognitive disorder which causes a loss of brain functions which mainly affect memory .

Dementia is a loss of brain function. If affects memory, thinking, language, judgement and behaviour. Dementia is progressive, so the symptoms will gradually get worse. In a later stage of dementia people will find it hard to carry out daily tasks and will come dependant on other people.

There are several causes of dementia some of them are; a stroke, brain disease, MS, certain medications, shrinkage of the brain, too many opiates over a long period of time and severe alcoholism

As people age, it is natural for them to experience a mild degree of memory loss. However, some cases can be much more severe, and can have a variety of causes. When loss of memory and other mental functions becomes more severe, the condition is known as dementia. Dementia is caused by a variety of disorders, but

There are many different types of dementia and causes of dementia. The first cause is Alzheimer’s disease, which is caused by nerve cells dying in certain areas of the brain. This therefore also affects the connection between the affected nerve cell causing them to deteriorate. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.

Even diet or illness can affect their abilities or needs. One day a person with dementia will remember, and be quite able, to complete certain tasks but then may be incapable another. This is not their choice it is because the brain is a very complex organ and the chemical changes vary from person to person. The information is still in the memory but the neurotransmitters are able to send messages one day but maybe not the next. If an individual has a water infection they may be more confused and their needs go up whilst their abilities go down. Medication may produce more hallucinations or tremors therefore once again their needs are increased.

Dementia is a term used to describe a collection of signs and symptoms that happen to the brain when it is affected by the progression of certain diseases such as vascular dementia (when brain cells die due to lack of oxygen) and Alzheimer’s disease (a specific brain disease). Some of the affects these diseases have are on a person’s memory, language and communication abilities, behaviour and ability to make rational judgements.

Dementia is a broad term used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions.Dementia is a progressive disease and the symptoms will get gradually worse.

Dementia affects the brain by stopping communication between the nerve cells causing them to die which will have an impact in the way the brain works.

There are many different forms of dementia and each has its own cause. Some of the main type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia affecting 50%-70% of dementia patients (Alzheimer's australia, 2005). This is a degenerative illness which attacks the brain, this is achieved buy tangles which are in the middle of shrunken brain cells and plaques which eventually cause the brain cells to die meaning information can no longer be recalled or assimilated. There are also other types of dementia which include vascular dementia which is caused by circulation of the blood to the brain, Parkinson’s disease which is a disorder of the

Dementia is a progressive illness that usually occurs over a period of time one of the earliest signs of dementia is problems with a persons memory, this can result in the individual behaving and communicating differently .

1.1 Dementia is a progressive disease where an individual’s brain functions deteriorate and affects their mental capabilities. This disease is incurable which is similar to another terminal illness such as cancer. Symptoms of dementia will affect an individual’s memory leading to loss and confusing, language/ communication, understanding and judgement. Medication can be prescribed to help slow down the progression of symptoms.

There are many different types of dementia. "Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet," gives the definition of Alzheimer’s as “an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.” Can you imagine waking up one morning and forgetting where and who you are, how to get dressed, and even how to leave your room. It would be like being in a maze, in a constant state of confusion.

VD is the second most common type of dementia; consisting of 10 to 30 percent and it is due to dead nerve cells in infected vessels. This is often caused by transient ischemic attacks (Miller, 2009). The two widely known forms of vascular dementia is Multi-infarct dementia (MD) and Binswanger’s disease (BD) also known as sub cortical vascular dementia. MD is a result of Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIA) that harms the cortex of the brain which is involved with memory. BD is related to stroke and high blood pressure and affects the “white matter” in the brain causing movement difficulties and emotional imbalances (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011). Late adulthood, diabetes mellitus, recurrent strokes and low education are common risk factors of VD however there are preventive measures like smoking, diabetes and sedentary lifestyle (Miller, 2009).

Dementia is caused when cells in the brain are damaged. This damage can interfere with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When they don't communicate normally, behavior, thinking, and feelings can be affected. Some possible risk factors are family history (with dementia), head trauma, lower education level, and gender (women are more prone). Alcohol, drug abuse, infections (AID's), cardiovascular disease, and head injuries help in the development of dementia.