Premature death of large quantities of brain cells is what characterizes Dementia. Dementia is a progressive and degenerative disease that causes the patient to experience memory loss and disorientation due to the loss of nerve cells in the brain. This disease will progress over many years. Seventy-five percent of todays elderly age 65 or older are estimated to experience symptoms of this debilitating disease. Generally, dementia will not present itself before the age of 60.
Although several theories exist, the actual cause of dementia is unknown. There is speculation that dementia could be a result of long-term exposure to aluminum and copper from foods, cookware, antacids, antiperspirants, etc. Furthermore, a deficiency of vitamin B12, zinc, potassium, selenium and boron was also found to exist in most dementia patients. Other etiological considerations include genetics, environmental and pharmaceutical toxins, autoimmune factors, brain injury/trauma, cholinergic nerve destruction due to excitatory amino acids, gluten sensitivity or allergy to wheat, hypothyroidism, elevated homocysteine levels and excess cortisol from adrenals, which destroy optimal brain functioning.
The most common symptoms of dementia include memory loss, inability for abstract thought, impaired judgment, cognitive decline and the inability to carry out everyday tasks. As progression of this disease continues, short term memory lapse becomes acute memory loss. In its later stages, loss of vitality, acute anxiety, apprehension and mood swings and ineffective body movements become prevalent. In addition, intellectual ability such as inability to find the correct words or figure out simple mathematical calculations can also occur. Generally, night time can escalate these symptoms with violent behavior, belligerence, incontinence and involuntary actions; however there are some who become more docile and withdrawn.
It is important to keep in mind that some prescription drugs can cause age-related symptoms such as described above. In addition, certain drugs can cause memory deficits or altered psychological behavior. Therefore, be sure to assess the patient thoroughly and carefully prepare nutritious meals that are high in vitamin B. It has been found that many older individuals suffer from malnutrition, which can cause a number of psychological symptoms ranging from depression to dementia. Consequently, it is vital that diet be assessed and that vitamin and mineral supplements are added to determine if nutritional depletion is the cause.
There are two broad categories for dementia, the subcortical dementias and the cortical dementias, depending upon which part of the brain is affected.
Parts of the brain beneath the cortex that are affected are considered subcortical. Typical forms of this type of dementia include Parkinsons disease, Huntington's disease, and AIDS dementia complex. In these cases, attention span and personality are affected as well as the slowing down of thought processing.
The outer layer of the brain or the cerebral cortex is responsible for language and memory. This is the area affected by cortical dementia. Patients who are afflicted with this disorder experience acute memory impairment as well as the inability to recall words or understand common language or aphasia. Common diseases of the cortical dementia include Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, there is the possibility of both areas of the brain being affected. In this case, it would be referred to as multi-infarct dementia.
Although several theories exist, the actual cause of dementia is unknown. There is speculation that dementia could be a result of long-term exposure to aluminum and copper from foods, cookware, antacids, antiperspirants, etc. Furthermore, a deficiency of vitamin B12, zinc, potassium, selenium and boron was also found to exist in most dementia patients. Other etiological considerations include genetics, environmental and pharmaceutical toxins, autoimmune factors, brain injury/trauma, cholinergic nerve destruction due to excitatory amino acids, gluten sensitivity or allergy to wheat, hypothyroidism, elevated homocysteine levels and excess cortisol from adrenals, which destroy optimal brain functioning.
The most common symptoms of dementia include memory loss, inability for abstract thought, impaired judgment, cognitive decline and the inability to carry out everyday tasks. As progression of this disease continues, short term memory lapse becomes acute memory loss. In its later stages, loss of vitality, acute anxiety, apprehension and mood swings and ineffective body movements become prevalent. In addition, intellectual ability such as inability to find the correct words or figure out simple mathematical calculations can also occur. Generally, night time can escalate these symptoms with violent behavior, belligerence, incontinence and involuntary actions; however there are some who become more docile and withdrawn.
It is important to keep in mind that some prescription drugs can cause age-related symptoms such as described above. In addition, certain drugs can cause memory deficits or altered psychological behavior. Therefore, be sure to assess the patient thoroughly and carefully prepare nutritious meals that are high in vitamin B. It has been found that many older individuals suffer from malnutrition, which can cause a number of psychological symptoms ranging from depression to dementia. Consequently, it is vital that diet be assessed and that vitamin and mineral supplements are added to determine if nutritional depletion is the cause.
There are two broad categories for dementia, the subcortical dementias and the cortical dementias, depending upon which part of the brain is affected.
Parts of the brain beneath the cortex that are affected are considered subcortical. Typical forms of this type of dementia include Parkinsons disease, Huntington's disease, and AIDS dementia complex. In these cases, attention span and personality are affected as well as the slowing down of thought processing.
The outer layer of the brain or the cerebral cortex is responsible for language and memory. This is the area affected by cortical dementia. Patients who are afflicted with this disorder experience acute memory impairment as well as the inability to recall words or understand common language or aphasia. Common diseases of the cortical dementia include Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, there is the possibility of both areas of the brain being affected. In this case, it would be referred to as multi-infarct dementia.
About the Author:
A highly regarded editor and news reporter with more than 10 years of experience. Esther Dacanay is a featured writer on Clivir.com where she shares her knowledge about Dementia Cures and Dementia Custodial care on Clivir.com.
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