Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. In people who have dementia, the symptoms interfere with their daily lives. Dementia isn't one specific disease. Several diseases can cause dementia.
Dementia generally involves memory loss. It's often one of the early symptoms of the condition. But having memory loss alone doesn't mean you have dementia. Memory loss can have different causes....
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Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause. Common symptoms include:
Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. The symptoms depend on the area of the brain that's damaged. Dementia can affect people differently.
Dementias are often grouped by what they have in common. They may be grouped by the protein or proteins deposited in the brain or by the part of the brain that's affected. Also, some diseases have symptoms like those of dementia. And some medicines can cause a reaction that includes dementia sympto...
Most types of dementia can't be cured, but there are ways to manage your symptoms.
The following are used to temporarily improve dementia symptoms.
Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medicines work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory and judgment. They include donepezil (Aricept, Adlarity), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne ER)....
There's no sure way to prevent dementia, but there are steps you can take that might help. More research is needed, but it might be beneficial to do the following:
For informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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Alzheimer's disease |