Different Types Of Dementia

A body cannot work without a properly functioning brain. Our brains allow us to do many things, such as think, feel emotions, and perform different tasks. People with dementia, unfortunately, lose the ability to perform even the simplest everyday tasks. It typically affects older aged people, anywhere from fifty years old and above. Dementia is not exactly a specific disease, but “rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain diseases or conditions” (“Types”). Dementia can be caused by various different diseases, depending on the part of the brain that is affected. There are two types of dementia: the ones that are not reversible and the few that are reversible. The cases that are not reversible, worsen throughout the years; these …show more content…
The early symptoms include language problems (forgetting names of familiar objects), misplacing things, getting lost in familiar places, personality changes, losing interest in previously enjoyable activities, loss in social skills, and having difficulties in simple tasks, such as remembering how to write a check. If dementia is irreversible and worsens, like in most cases, the symptoms become more evident and affect how the person takes care of them self. These symptoms include more drastic memory loss, poor judgement, hallucinations, delusions, depression, and difficulty with daily tasks, reading, writing, and communicating. Once dementia becomes very severe, people can no longer recognize family members, comprehend language, nor eat, get dressed, and bathe by themselves. Some may eventually lose their ability to be able to swallow their food or saliva (“Dementia”). Growing up in a family with multiple members with dementia, I have witnessed both my Uncle Angel and my Aunt Carmen go through all these symptoms and are currently in their worst stage. When my Aunt Carmen’s symptoms were more evident, she came to live with us. My aunt had taken care of me since I was little while my mom was at work. At times she would not recognize me or other relatives. She would also forget …show more content…
This evaluation starts off with simple questions such as asking the patient who they are, where they live, the current date, any current events, and to recall any specific details the doctor may ask. A Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) may be performed as well, giving the patient various words to remember and then asking them to recall them. If passed with a low score, one will most likely be determined to have dementia (Cognitive). Other tests can also include brain scans to see if there were any strokes that could possibly be the cause