Dementia does not refer to a specific disease but rather a group of conditions that impair brain functioning. This is usually a lifelong condition that gets aggravated with age. Sadly, there is not cure for dementia though treatment can help ease the symptoms and make day to day life more comfortable for the patient. Medication can also slow the progression of this syndrome. There are many different types of dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease
This is one of the most common forms of dementia. Memory loss and having trouble getting organised are classic signs of Alzheimer’s disease. With time, these symptoms can get worse. Apart from poor memory, patients might also lose their way in familiar places, get confused about what day it is, have problems speaking and show poor judgement.

Vascular dementia
This sort of dementia is usually preceded by a major stroke or a series of smaller strokes. The patient may not even realise that he has had a stroke. The symptoms of this condition depend on the part of the brain most affected by the stroke. Poor judgement and impaired decision-making are characteristic symptoms of vascular dementia. Other symptoms include memory loss, clumsiness, changes in personality, and trouble communicating with others.

Dementia with lewy bodies
Sometimes, microscopic deposits of protein may settle in the brain. These are known as Lewy bodies. If these deposits are in the brain’s cortex, it can cause dementia. The most common symptoms of this condition include lowered attention span, memory troubles, hallucinations, daytime drowsiness, trembling, having trouble walking and blackout periods.

Parkinson’s disease dementia
Parkinson’s disease affects the central nervous system and reduces dopamine production in the brain. Many people suffering from Parkinson’s develops dementia. These patients also show the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain and hence the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease dementia are very similar to those caused by dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Huntington’s disease
Huntington’s disease is a result of a faulty gene that is passed down from one generation to another. Symptoms of this condition typically begin to develop between the ages of 30 and 50. Some of the symptoms include forgetfulness, poor judgement, lowered concentration, trouble in planning and impaired reasoning.

Frontotemporal dementia
This disease is caused by cell damage to the parts of the brain that control speech, emotions, movement, judgement and planning. It can cause personality changes as well as changes in behavioral patterns, a sudden lack of inhibition in social situations, inability to find specific words while having a conversation and balance-related problems.

Dementia is not a disease by itself, but rather a collection of symptoms that hamper the functioning of the brain. There are many types of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Vascular dementia etc. Dementia can affect the way a person thinks, his memory and decision-making skills, which ultimately make him completely dependent on another person. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for dementia but treatment can help slow the progression of the disease and make daily life easier for the sufferer. In order to receive treatment, it is important to recognize the early signs and symptoms of dementia. Seven early signs of dementia include:

Short term memory loss
Everyone forgets things once in a while, but when it becomes a frequent occurrence, there is reason to worry. Signs of short term memory loss include forgetting where something is kept, why they went somewhere or what they were supposed to do while being able to remember details about events that happened long ago clearly.

Mood swings
Depression is one of the early signs of dementia. This may also be accompanied by personality shifts such as suddenly going from being an introvert to an outgoing person. These signs are usually not easy to recognize in one’s self.

Listlessness
People showing early signs of dementia often lose interest in things even if it were something they earlier liked. They may stop displaying normal emotions and begin to withdraw from friends and family.

Difficulty completing tasks
People in the early stages of dementia show a reduced ability to concentrate and focus on tasks. This can make it difficult for them to complete tasks as simple as playing a game with rules or balancing a check book. They may also find it difficult to learn new skills and change their routine.

Confusion
People in the early stages of dementia often get confused about small things. They may forget familiar faces; find it difficult to find the right word during a conversation or where they have kept things. This can make the person feel very frustrated at times.
Bad sense of direction
Forgetting where you were going or not being able to recognize a place even though you go there quite regularly is a common sign of dementia. People may even forget their way home from the market or their office. In such cases, they may also have trouble following directions and recognizing landmarks.

Repetition
Due to the short term memory lapses, a person may find himself repeating tasks or words in a conversation. They may repeat normal tasks like forget they’ve had a shower and have another one or begin to collect things obsessively.

Dementia is a condition that affects a number of elderly people. Common symptoms of dementia include loss of short term memory, confusion, personality changes and apathy. Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia and treatment only aims at improving a person’s quality of life. When it comes to dementia, some risk factors like age, genetics, gender etc cannot be changed but by following a healthy lifestyle you can reduce part of your risk of suffering from this syndrome. Here are a few tips.

Pay attention to your diet
Eating the right food can strengthen your neural connections and keep your brain healthy. Reduce your salt intake as excessive salt intake can increase blood pressure and the risk of several types of dementia. Also, cut down on foods rich in saturated fats. Instead have a diet that is rich in fibre with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Maintain a healthy BMI
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of suffering from a number of health conditions such as blood pressure which in turn increase the risk of dementia. BMI refers to body mass index which can be defined as your body fat levels with relation to your height and weight. If you have a BMI higher than 25 you should consider losing weight to reduce your risk of dementia.

Exercise
Regular exercise not only keeps you physically healthy, it also keeps you mentally healthy. A healthy BMI and blood pressure level, low cholesterol levels and healthy circulatory system are some of the benefits of regular exercise that can reduce your risk of dementia. Ideally, you should aim for a minimum of two and a half hours of moderate exercise every week.

Skip the alcohol
Alcohol not only affects your liver but can also increase your blood pressure and cholesterol levels which in turn increase your risk of dementia in your later years. If you cannot abstain from alcohol, ensure that you drink within the limits recommended by doctors. Ideally, men should not drink more than3-4 units of alcohol a day and women should limit their alcohol intake to 2-3 units a day.

Quit smoking
Smoking can block your arteries and narrow them. As a result, it can increase your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases and dementia.

Exercise your brain
Along with your body, you should also exercise your brain to keep it healthy. Some of the ways to keep your brain healthy include reading, solving crossword puzzles or learning something new like a different language. Apart from boosting your brain power, this sort of mental exercise can also keep you socially engaged and hence lower your risk of dementia.

In most cases, dementia has a very slow rate of progression. Though there is no cure for this syndrome, getting the right medication can help make day to day life more comfortable for the patient and slow down the advancement of dementia. Dementia is often discussed with regard to its stages. This refers to how far the condition has advanced. Knowing what stage the condition has reached is crucial in determining what type of medication is best suited to the person. Colloquially, the stages of dementia may be referred to as early stages, middle stages or late stages but dementia can be categorized according to seven stages. This is most relevant in cases of Alzheimer’s disease. These are:

Stage I – No cognitive decline
At this stage, the patient does not show any signs of dementia and can take care of himself. He is considered to be mentally healthy.

Stage II Very Mild Cognitive decline
With age, a person may turn forgetful and not recall names and numbers and frequently misplace things. This is referred to as the stage II.

Stage III Mild cognitive decline
This stage can last for up to 7 years before the onset of dementia. At this point, a patient’s family members and friends will begin to notice cognitive decline in the form of forgetfulness, decreased performance and reduced concentration abilities.

Stage IV Moderate cognitive decline
This stage is marked by the onset of dementia. A patient can stay in this stage for approximately 2 years. This stage is marked by inability to remember recent events, difficulty in concentrating, trouble in solving complex problems and difficulty with socializing. From this stage onwards, a person suffering from dementia should always be accompanied by someone while travelling to new locations, even though they may be in denial of their symptoms.

Stage V Moderate to severe cognitive decline
By the time they reach this stage, a person suffering from dementia will have major memory loss and need assistance with day to day activities such as getting dressed, cooking etc. It is also fairly common for people to get confused about the date and time at this stage. Stage V can last an average of one and a half years.

Stage VI Severe cognitive decline
At this stage, a person cannot manage things on his own and needs constant help. Memory loss in this stage extends from short term memory loss to forgetting names of their family members and other parts of their long term memory. Bladder incontinence and bowel problems are common issues at this stage. The patient might also undergo personality changes and suffer from anxiety and hallucinations.

Stage VII Very severe cognitive decline
In this stage of dementia, a person loses his ability to communicate as well as psychomotor skills, making him completely dependent on others.

Dementia is a blanket term to describe various symptoms arising from brain disorders. These symptoms affect memory, communication, social skills and thinking ability to an extent that it begins to hamper the day-to-day life of the patients. Dementia can occur due to various reasons. Some of the common causes of this debilitating disorder are Alzheimer’s disease, fronto-temporal dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, head injury and others.

Dementia is a progressive disease. This means that the symptoms eventually get worse with time. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to early stages of dementia for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Early Signs of Dementia- Memory loss alone is not a sign of dementia. Dementia is diagnosed only when a person experiences minimum two symptoms of the disease and in way that those symptoms affect the individual’s quality of life.

Here is a list of symptoms that indicate early stages of dementia.

• Short-term memory loss: Most people display trouble with memory during the early stages of dementia. For instance, a person with dementia might not remember events from an hour ago, what they had for dinner or where they keep their wallet.

• Changes in mood: People with early stages of dementia can appear to be moody or depressed. They can suddenly become angry and then calm again.

• Confusion: People with dementia can become confused about once familiar things in their lives. This symptom can manifest as disorientation in acquainted places, not able to recognize people known to them and not remembering the right words.

• Language problems: Finding problems in remembering simple words or a way to explain something can become very difficult for people with dementia. Not able to recall words to say something can point to early stages of dementia.

• Change in behavior: Memory loss and confusion can further trigger symptoms like changes in behavior and personality. Someone with a shy or calm demeanor may suddenly begin to display behavioral traits such as being very sociable or friendly. Paranoia and mistrust are also common in people with early stages of dementia. It can also result in a complete disregard for personal hygiene and grooming.

• Poor Judgment: During early stages of dementia, a person may not be able to exercise judgment or common sense in both simple and emergency situations.

• Loss of abilities: A person with early stages of dementia can find it difficult to perform familiar tasks such as forgetting to drive, doing simple household chores and managing small everyday tasks.

• Loss of abstract thinking: During early stages of dementia, a person may begin to forget about numbers. This could lead to an inability to balance checkbooks or manage everyday finances.

• Inaction: As a result of early stages of dementia, a person who once displayed interest for new things or had hobbies may not show any interest in these activities anymore.

• Inability to focus: The above symptoms may also lead to impairment of the ability to pay attention and focus.