Common Symptoms of Dementia

The mind, in all its power, is truly beyond comprehension and rarely predictable. When struck with Dementia, the mind is defeated of its ability to operate normally. The term Dementia means ‘deprived of mind’. In other words, it signifies an impaired state of mind.

Dementia impairs cognitive abilities of the mind. Although impairing, it is not really a disease, since it is caused due to a collection of conditions that could vary from injuries to the head, illness such as brain tumours, stroke, reactions to medication, poisoning, ill-effects of drugs and alcohol, infections, depression, malnutrition, geriatric, etc.

One of the most common symptoms of Dementia is loss of memory. For the patient, it might start of simple by forgetting names, appointments, important dates or events, misplacing things and constantly finding themselves lost amid carrying on routine or mundane jobs, but could move on to becoming much worse and degenerative. It could take nearly 6 months to clearly diagnose the patient to be suffering from Dementia. The other symptoms that the patient could display are: Aphasia, personality change, mood swings, depression and lethargy.

Treating Dementia is a tricky in itself. Before treating the condition, the underlying cause has to be determined. Dementia caused due to serious brain injuries is irreversible. If caused due to ill-effects of drugs or excessive alcohol consumption, it could be reversible once the consumption is stopped. The best part about treating Dementia is that it could be treated in a non-drug method by prescribing suitable medication such as anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, sedatives and anti-psychotics depending upon the symptoms. There are also alternative medicines available in the market. But this must used only upon the consultation of a qualified physician, since most of these are not approved and regulated by the FDA.

Patients suffering from Dementia may need round the clock monitoring. It is best to have someone watching over them or to appoint a nurse to ensure they are given proper dementia care and attention if they are recovering at home.

Dementia can be prevented by paying attention to health. Avoiding excessively fatty foods, exercising regularly, avoiding excessive alcohol and or usage of drugs, having a positive attitude in life can all contribute to prevention of various kinds of Dementia.

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