Most people have heard of or even been impacted by dementia. However, there are still many questions and misconceptions around the condition. So, we decided to answer some of your most common questions about dementia.
What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia? Now, these two terms are often used interchangeably, however, they are different. Dementia is the term used to describe a range of symptoms that include memory difficulties, communication difficulties, and confusion. Contrastingly, Alzheimer’s is a common cause of dementia. It is a disease where the connections between neurons deteriorate, often resulting in memory loss. There is often a confusion between the two since they both impact memory, which is one of of the warning signs of dementia.
What are the signs of dementia? Forgetfulness is a warning sign of dementia, whereby the person may forget little things like names. Mood changes are often one of the first stages of dementia as the person may react more emotionally to some situations. Partly due to forgetfulness, the person may struggle to participate in conversations and may feel disoriented as they forget directions and common landmarks. You can learn more about the signs of dementia in this blog post.
What are the types of dementia?
There are actually over 400 types of dementia, however, common ones include vascular dementia and frontotemporal dementia. Vascular dementia is connected with heart health, as cardiovascular disease can cause a blockage in brain blood vessels which can lead to vascular dementia. Another type of dementia is frontotemporal dementia, which refers to a buildup of proteins in the front and side regions of the brain which are responsible for behavior, language, and planning.
Does head injury increase the risk of dementia?
The research around this is a bit unclear. It is accepted that a drastic head injury or trauma may increase the risk of dementia, however, the link between mild/small head injuries and dementia remains unclear.
Is there a cure for dementia?
Sadly there is not a cure for dementia yet. Like any other disease, large amounts of research is required to find a cure, but unfortunately, dementia research is often underfunded. But you can make a difference! By participating in medical research, you can help researchers accelerate the journey to discovering better treatments (and even a cure!) for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
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