‘Dementia link to sudden low blood pressure and dizziness’
October 13, 2024
Dementia is not considered as a disease. It is a collection of symptoms caused by many diseases and conditions that affect a persons social and thinking abilities. Common symptoms of dementia include changes in mood, behavior and personality.
On the contrary, to what most people believe, dementia can be treated if the cause can be rectified. For example, dementia that is caused by substance abuse with alcohol or illegal drugs, vitamin or hormonal imbalances or a combination of various prescription medications can be treated by eliminating the cause.
Although, in some cases, a person may appear to be a victim to dementia, severe clinical depression may be the cause of the symptoms. This is called pseudo-dementia (false dementia). Pseudo dementia is treatable, but in most cases, true dementia is not.
When parts of the brain which focus on memory, learning, language and decision making skills are infected or affected by diseases, dementia develops. In most cases, Alzheimers disease is the cause of dementia.
However, more than 50 known causes of dementia exist today, and most of them are very rare.
No. Generally, memory loss occurs in dementia but not all cases of memory loss involve dementia.
Dementia often involves at least two brain function problems, such as impaired judgment, memory loss, or inability to perform daily life activities.
People with dementia usually have trouble remembering numbers, people, and their names. Dementia can make a person confused and experience personality changes and changes in social behavior.
Although, most types of dementia are incurable, your doctor may recommend certain medications to help with the symptoms.
Many symptoms of dementia can be treated with conventional methods, such as:
Avoid correcting a person with dementia or quizzing them as your behavior to the patient may worsen agitation,
therefore it is better to reassure the person more frequently.
Modify the environment by making it more dementia-friendly, by removing clutter and vexing noises so that a person with dementia can focus better.
Modify tasks by dividing them into easier, more manageable steps, as this may ensure that the patient is more successful in performing them.
Calming therapies such as music therapy, aromatherapy, acupuncture and massage also help.
Pet therapy for some people can be extremely calming and therapeutic.
Carers must ensure that the following guidelines are considered:
Everybody benefits from exercise, even people with dementia. Exercises enhance cardiovascular health and strength. Some studies also show that exercise can hinder the progression of impaired cognitive function in people with dementia. Exercise can abate symptoms of depression and behavioral problems as well.
Make sure you maintain eye contact while talking to the person with dementia. Use simple sentences and do not urge them to respond. Give them all the time they need to think. Give only one instruction at a time. Use gestures when you tell them to do something, such as pointing at rooms or objects.
Encourage them to participate in games that involve their cognitive skills, such as crossword puzzles. This helps in slowing down cognitive decline as a person ages.
Note that behavior can worsen at night time, so try to eliminate triggers that may cause restlessness and agitation . Maintain calming bedtime routines or rituals. Keep noise to a minimum. Also try to limit caffeine intake and daytime napping to promote restful sleep at night.