When it comes to differentiating Alzheimer's and dementia, a lot of confusion is experienced and especially because most people use the two words interchangeably. Although slightly related, the two words are very different. In simple explanation, Alzheimer's is one cause of the symptoms of dementia while dementia is a symptom that can be caused by different factors; Alzheimer's being one of the causes.
On the other hand, Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia. This kind of disease is usually suffered by older age group. Since it is considered as the most common cause of dementia, this disease is equated with its general term. But you should always remember that dementia has a lot of other causes, not only the Alzheimer's disease.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people around the world who are suffering from dementia. Though, it is not a disease, dementia is actually a collection of symptoms that can affect a person's mental activity including reasoning as well as memory. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and it is most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's progresses slowly and can start by the patient having a short memory and later developing other problems such as poor judgment and decision making. In order to distinguish Alzheimer's from other causes of dementia, the doctor will first examine these first symptoms in order to establish the real cause of dementia. A CT scan can follow in order to be sure that Alzheimer's is the real cause of condition dementia.
There are numerous causes of dementia, some reversible while others are not. Vitamins deficiencies and thyroid conditions can be reversed, as long as the underlying problem is identified and treated. However, other causes of dementia are not reversible. They are considered degenerative diseases that are detrimental to the brain over time. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease(AD), which accounts for 80% of all dementia cases. It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease. As they grow older, so do the prevalence increases. It is approximated that 50% of individuals aged 85 year and above have the disease.
When a person has dementia, it means that he is suffering from a significant memory problem, which can become severe and might affect one's daily living. According to the records presented by the Cleveland Clinic, Alzheimer's disease is about 50 to 70 percent of all dementia cases.
Alzheimer's affects the patient's memory which starts to show after the patient reaches sixty years. In older people; over 60 years; the disease can take up to 3 years before the person passes on. However, this is different from younger people; it can take longer before they pass away. On the other hand, on much elderly people who are over 80 years can take less than 3 years after Alzheimer's symptoms show.
If a person has Alzheimer's disease, the damage to the brain can begin even before the symptoms show. There are abnormal protein deposits that form plaques and tangles in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's. The connections between the cells are lost, thus they begin to die.
It is important that doctors explain the difference between Alzheimers and dementia to their patients in order to avoid confusion. This way, the patient will be well-informed about the condition that he or she is suffering from. It would also give the doctors with the possible cure or prevention for the condition.
On the other hand, Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia. This kind of disease is usually suffered by older age group. Since it is considered as the most common cause of dementia, this disease is equated with its general term. But you should always remember that dementia has a lot of other causes, not only the Alzheimer's disease.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people around the world who are suffering from dementia. Though, it is not a disease, dementia is actually a collection of symptoms that can affect a person's mental activity including reasoning as well as memory. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and it is most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's progresses slowly and can start by the patient having a short memory and later developing other problems such as poor judgment and decision making. In order to distinguish Alzheimer's from other causes of dementia, the doctor will first examine these first symptoms in order to establish the real cause of dementia. A CT scan can follow in order to be sure that Alzheimer's is the real cause of condition dementia.
There are numerous causes of dementia, some reversible while others are not. Vitamins deficiencies and thyroid conditions can be reversed, as long as the underlying problem is identified and treated. However, other causes of dementia are not reversible. They are considered degenerative diseases that are detrimental to the brain over time. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease(AD), which accounts for 80% of all dementia cases. It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease. As they grow older, so do the prevalence increases. It is approximated that 50% of individuals aged 85 year and above have the disease.
When a person has dementia, it means that he is suffering from a significant memory problem, which can become severe and might affect one's daily living. According to the records presented by the Cleveland Clinic, Alzheimer's disease is about 50 to 70 percent of all dementia cases.
Alzheimer's affects the patient's memory which starts to show after the patient reaches sixty years. In older people; over 60 years; the disease can take up to 3 years before the person passes on. However, this is different from younger people; it can take longer before they pass away. On the other hand, on much elderly people who are over 80 years can take less than 3 years after Alzheimer's symptoms show.
If a person has Alzheimer's disease, the damage to the brain can begin even before the symptoms show. There are abnormal protein deposits that form plaques and tangles in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's. The connections between the cells are lost, thus they begin to die.
It is important that doctors explain the difference between Alzheimers and dementia to their patients in order to avoid confusion. This way, the patient will be well-informed about the condition that he or she is suffering from. It would also give the doctors with the possible cure or prevention for the condition.
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If you are looking for information on the various stages when it comes to dementia, then please visit the website. It is an excellent resource for people wanting a brief introduction to the illness. It also has useful information regarding The Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer's?.
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