While most people associate dementia with Alzheimer’s disease, what are the warning signs if it isn’t that type of dementia? For most of us, the only type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. We will take a look at three other types of dementia that effect people.
Vascular Dementia
This disease is the second-most common form of dementia in elderly patients. It is caused when the blood flow to the brain is interrupted – usually due to a stroke. If the patient has received several “silent strokes” over a period of time, vascular dementia might be slow to recognize. The symptoms are a decline in memory, confusion, behavior and reasoning. There is no known cure for vascular dementia. Medications and lifestyle changes can help slow down its progress.
Parkinson’s Disease
This is possibly the best known form of dementia following Alzheimer’s Disease due to public awareness by celebrities, such as Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali, who are afflicted with this condition. Unlike other forms of dementia, Parkinson’s can affect people of any age. It affects the person’s motor skills causing them to have tremors, as well as other, noticeable conditions. The disease is caused by brain cell death which interrupts the motor skills. As the disease progresses, other signs of dementia may be more pronounced.
Dementia With Lewy Bodies
This type of dementia affects about 1.3 million people in the United States. It affects the mental health of the patient by interrupting the functions of their memory, speech, behavior and motor skills. It is sometimes mistakenly identified with Parkinson’s Disease because some of the symptoms overlap. The relationship between the two diseases is not completely understood at this time. Lewy Bodies are clumps of protein that attach themselves inside of brain cells causing the disorder. You can find out more about this disorder at:http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dementia-lewy-bodies
While there are many other forms of dementia, these three types, in addition to Alzheimer’s are the most prevalent. If you feel that you or a loved one is affected by one of these diseases, contact your doctor so tests can be done to identify the specific problem.
