What is Dementia

Dementia is an incurable brain condition that causes memory loss, problems with understanding and thinking, and language struggles.

There are many different types of Dementia and usually the symptoms worsen gradually over time, the two main types of Dementia are Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Dementia and may contribute to 60–70% of cases, it’s more common in females. There are treatments that can help manage the condition, but unfortunately no cure as of yet. The main symptoms of Alzheimer’s are-

- Memory loss

- Misplacing items

- Repeating speech or activities

- Broken sleep

- Little interest in doing things that would usually be enjoyable

There are three stages, early, middle and later, as a person goes through the stages the symptoms will worsen. In later stages, falls, loss of mobility and struggling to speak are common too.

Vascular Dementia

Vascular Dementia is a condition caused by the lack of blood that carries oxygen and nutrient to a part of the brain. It causes problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, and memory. It contributes to around 20% of all Dementia cases, and is much more common in males. Similarly to Alzheimer’s Disease, there is no cure but treatments to help manage the condition. The main symptoms are-

- Short term memory loss

- Getting lost in familiar surroundings

- Hallucinations

- Incapability to follow instructions.

Dementia affects everybody differently, depending on their lifestyle and the type of Dementia they have. Ultimately, all types of dementia have similar symptoms, but just have different routes and severity’s. The condition is mainly common in people above the age of 64, and approximately 1 million people in the UK are living with Dementia.