Dementia Diagnosis Symptoms: What You Should Know
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Age may bring wisdom but the downside to this is a tendency to forget things more easily but when this situation worsens, it may be a case of dementia. Other changes in mental functions are involved which can mean it is difficult to carry out everyday tasks in addition to problems with an erratic memory.
As dementia is a progressive disorder, it often goes unrecognized for some time as it is often confuse with the general aging process but it is actually a range of symptoms that are the result of other often completely unrelated conditions. In some cases, the dementia can be treated because the cause is treatable although in some cases where the person may appear to have dementia, a severe depression can be causing the symptoms. Owing to the number of different conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, it means that there are occasions where it can be treated and sometimes it might not even be dementia but a condition that mimics the symptoms like severe depression.
The importance of accurate diagnosis cannot be underestimated as even hormone imbalances, certain drugs and alcohol can cause the dementia so to treat this, it needs to be caught early on. According to the National Institute on Aging, there are at least one hundred different types of conditions that may result in short-term dementia, many of which can be treated and about ten percent of all cases of dementia may be treatable.
Dementia in the elderly can take on two different forms; reversible and chronic so when symptoms are reversible, the short-term dementia has been caused by another illness or disease. Elderly people face a tremendous amount of change in their lives, sometimes this change can be abrupt like retirement, loss of a loved one, divorce, or change in location for example. Events like this often distress the person involved and lead to stress or depression, both of which their physician needs to know about.
Electrolyte imbalances, hypoglycemia, hypocalcaemia, hepatic diseases, pancreatic disorders, renal failure, or liver failure are all metabolic disturbances which can also cause confusion and effect sleep, appetite, and emotional balance. Of course, medical conditions like hypoglycemia, liver and kidney problems, electrolyte imbalances and hypocalcaemia can all create problems that affect sleep, appetite and cause confusion. As we age our hearing and eyesight start to deteriorate and this may happen progressively so an elderly person may not notice or care to admit they have trouble seeing and hearing which may appear to another person that they do not appear to be fully aware of what is happening around them.
It is a common complaint amongst the elderly that they no longer enjoy their food which can be due to ill fitting dentures or a loss of taste and as a consequence they do not receive adequate nutrition. Head injuries can also affect cognitive functions along with other mental illnesses like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and these too must be investigated.
When diagnosing dementia, the use of scanning equipment like CAT scans and MRI's are necessary which can also indicate whether the incidence of dementia is a treatable one or not. The main difference when it is a case of irreversible dementia is the need for adjustments to be made where the person lives to avoid situations that are dangerous but continuous training in behavior methods should also be carried out.
As dementia is a progressive disorder, it often goes unrecognized for some time as it is often confuse with the general aging process but it is actually a range of symptoms that are the result of other often completely unrelated conditions. In some cases, the dementia can be treated because the cause is treatable although in some cases where the person may appear to have dementia, a severe depression can be causing the symptoms. Owing to the number of different conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, it means that there are occasions where it can be treated and sometimes it might not even be dementia but a condition that mimics the symptoms like severe depression.
The importance of accurate diagnosis cannot be underestimated as even hormone imbalances, certain drugs and alcohol can cause the dementia so to treat this, it needs to be caught early on. According to the National Institute on Aging, there are at least one hundred different types of conditions that may result in short-term dementia, many of which can be treated and about ten percent of all cases of dementia may be treatable.
Dementia in the elderly can take on two different forms; reversible and chronic so when symptoms are reversible, the short-term dementia has been caused by another illness or disease. Elderly people face a tremendous amount of change in their lives, sometimes this change can be abrupt like retirement, loss of a loved one, divorce, or change in location for example. Events like this often distress the person involved and lead to stress or depression, both of which their physician needs to know about.
Electrolyte imbalances, hypoglycemia, hypocalcaemia, hepatic diseases, pancreatic disorders, renal failure, or liver failure are all metabolic disturbances which can also cause confusion and effect sleep, appetite, and emotional balance. Of course, medical conditions like hypoglycemia, liver and kidney problems, electrolyte imbalances and hypocalcaemia can all create problems that affect sleep, appetite and cause confusion. As we age our hearing and eyesight start to deteriorate and this may happen progressively so an elderly person may not notice or care to admit they have trouble seeing and hearing which may appear to another person that they do not appear to be fully aware of what is happening around them.
It is a common complaint amongst the elderly that they no longer enjoy their food which can be due to ill fitting dentures or a loss of taste and as a consequence they do not receive adequate nutrition. Head injuries can also affect cognitive functions along with other mental illnesses like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and these too must be investigated.
When diagnosing dementia, the use of scanning equipment like CAT scans and MRI's are necessary which can also indicate whether the incidence of dementia is a treatable one or not. The main difference when it is a case of irreversible dementia is the need for adjustments to be made where the person lives to avoid situations that are dangerous but continuous training in behavior methods should also be carried out.
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