People sometimes confuse dementia with Alzheimer’s, and doctors tend to use the term “dementia” in order not to scare people. Alzheimer’s actually emerges as a quite frequent form of dementia, though the primary symptoms differ between the two. Dementia, a condition affecting the brain, impairs people from doing simple, routine activities such as eating or getting dressed, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It may also cause people’s personality to change and create an overall state of agitation and confusion. Alzheimer’s also affects the brain, causing memory loss and the gradual degradation of all thinking abilities. Senior citizens fall victim to dementia and Alzheimer’s most often, though symptoms can appear at earlier ages. However, symptoms get worse with age, and currently science and medicine cannot reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s.

Dementia
Physicians can sometimes treat dementia in cases resulting from drug or alcohol abuse with medication or by a hormonal imbalance. Additionally, some cases of pseudo-dementia (when the symptoms seem to point toward dementia) actually result from something else such as depression. Medical professionals can treat an estimated 20% of dementia cases.

Other causes can trigger dementia such as degeneration of nerve cells, strokes or infections that affect the brain; generally, medication cannot help in these cases. Head injuries or diseases in the kidney, lungs or liver can also lead to the development of dementia. Although approximately 50 forms of dementia exist, most occur rarely except for Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s progresses in stages and becomes quite severe in senior citizens. Mild memory loss emerges as one of the first symptoms, but as patients advance in age they can lose most of their mental abilities. The aggravation of the symptoms can occur over shorter or longer periods of time, varying from case to case. It can take five years for the symptoms to settle or as long as 20 years. Senior citizens suffering from Alzheimer’s usually depend on someone to take care of them.

Studies have not yet fully discovered what causes Alzheimer’s. Data gathered so far point to the fact that people can inherit Alzheimer’s. It can also result from environmental factors such as head injury, whether occurring once or repeated, as in the case of boxers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cholesterol-lowering drugs can also increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, according to recent studies. Age remains the primary risk factor, so senior citizens have the highest risk of developing the condition.

Don’t Wait
If you suspect you or a loved one might suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s, consult with your doctor as soon as possible. If a treatable cause triggers the condition, start dealing with it before the brain suffers irreversible damage. If it is not treatable, the doctor can prescribe a treatment plan to alleviate some of the symptoms and slow its evolution. Hospitals and other medical institutions often offer programs for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and their families in order for them to learn what to expect and how to deal with the condition.

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