Healthcare Matters: Dementia

HEALTH CARE MATTERS
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Dementia
Dementia is a good example of cognitive impairment or disorder. Cognitive disorders refer to those disorders that, to an extent, impairs the cognitive function of an individual of a person to the point where usual and normal functioning in the community is difficult without treatment. Other examples of cognitive disorders are motor skill disorders and autism. Dementia is an overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in problem-solving skills, memory, and language skills. Dementia also refers to a continuous disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and is marked by memory disorders, impaired reasoning, or personality changes.
Dementia generally occurs in four stages: mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia, moderate dementia, and severe dementia. The following are some signs of dementia difficulties in doing familiar jobs or tasks, confusion about place and time, poor judgment or decision-making, withdrawal from socializing and being forgetful (memory loss) (Huzar, 2019). Research shows the likelihood of suffering from dementia increases as people age. In the United States, 6.8 million people were diagnosed with dementia in 2013 (MacGill, 2018). Dementia is caused by several ways that incapacitate the brain functioning of a human being. The causes of dementia are discussed below.
Causes of Dementia
`Dementia can be caused by Alzheimer’s disease; this is the most common cause. Alzheimer’s disease is a continuous and persistent disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate and die. As a result, this destroys the memory and other essential brain functions, which help in the coordination of the body. The following are early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: memory loss, difficulties in engaging and doing daily tasks, persistent confusion with time or place, visual impairments, problems in solving petty issues, changes in mood or attitude, and many others (Alzheimer’s Association, 2020). Dementia with Lewy bodies is caused by deposits of a protein known as the alpha-synuclein in the brain, which affect the brain’s chemicals. This, in turn, results in problems in thinking, mood, behavior, and movement (NIH, 2018). The following are signs of dementia with Lewy bodies: loss of coordination, stooped posture, difficulties in swallowing, muscle rigidity, reduced facial expression, depression, anxiety, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, and changes in bo...