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What is Dementia?
Dementia is the name given to a group of symptoms of decreased brain function that are severe enough to affect activities of daily living. It is caused by damage to brain cells, which stops effective communication between different parts of the brain. Individuals who are diagnosed with dementia will see changes in at least two areas of thinking. Some examples of areas affected are memory, communication and language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgment, visual perception, and emotions. Dementia is not a normal part of aging, unlike what was formerly believed to be the truth.
There are multiple types of dementia. No one knows exactly what causes dementia, but some can be caused by vitamin deficiencies, alcoholism, stroke, certain medications or thyroid disease. Some dementias have reversible side effects. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
Dementia is diagnosed by studying a person’s medical history, physical exam, and laboratory tests. Practitioners look for specific behaviors and classic changes in cognition and functioning in everyday life. Diagnosing a specific types of dementia can be more difficult, since many symptoms are shared. Some dementias can be treated to stop the progression or to reverse the progression of symptoms, so it is important to try to find out what is causing it.
Dementia Clocks are a tremendous help
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