What is Dementia?

If you, or a friend or relative, have been diagnosed with dementia, you may be feeling anxious or confused. You may not know what dementia is.

The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. These include Alzheimer’s disease and sometimes as a result of a stroke.

Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual. Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way, although there are common symptoms.

Symptoms of dementia include:

* Loss of memory – for example, forgetting the way home from the shops, or being unable to remember names and places, or what happened earlier the same day.
* Mood changes – particularly as parts of the brain that control emotion are affected by disease. People with dementia may also feel sad, frightened or angry about what is happening to them.
* Communication problems – a decline in the ability to talk, read and write.

In the later stages of dementia, the person affected will have problems carrying out everyday tasks, and will become increasingly dependent on other people.

( taken from factsheet 400 – Alzheimer’s society)

Diagnosing dementia is not straight forward. If you have concerns it is advisable to make an appointment with your usual GP, someone who knows you well. Symptoms of dementia could be caused by a variety of medical conditions such as thyroid problems or depression, so getting a diagnosis is essential in initially ruling out other potential causes. Your GP will carry out a MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) as well as blood and urine tests (to rule out alternative causes to your symptoms, like infections). MMSE is a standardised set of questions to assess your memory. If your GP thinks that you may have dementia s/he will refer you to a specialist for further assessment.  Some people often say that it is difficult to get their relation to attend a GP appointment when there may be concerns about dementia. If it’s possible to have an “MOT” appointment arranged so that a general health assessment can be made, this is often more acceptable and can make it easier to get the person there so that potential dementia can be assessed by the GP.  If you have any positive experiences about how you over came this difficulty please contact us, we can pass on your ideas to others.

There are many causes of dementia. Check out the Dementia web site for factsheets on the various types and causes of dementia.  Having an understanding of the causes of dementia can make looking after someone a little bit easier.