diva4545 - Tumblr blog

diva4545 · 10 years

Video

“What’s the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s?”

It’s a common question, and doctors are some of the best at confusing us. Physicians seem to prefer the word “dementia,” possibly because Alzheimer’s has become such a loaded word. “Dementia” somehow sounds less frightening to many people, and now even the experts have started using the words interchangeably.

They aren't interchangeable. Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia are two very different things.

Dementia is a symptom. Pain is a symptom, and many different injuries and illnesses can cause pain. When you go to the doctor because you hurt, you won’t be satisfied if the doctor diagnoses “pain” and sends you home. You want to know what is causing the pain, and how to treat it.

“Dementia” simply means the symptom of a deterioration of intellectual abilities resulting from an unspecified disease or disorder of the brain.

Alzheimer’s Disease is one disease/disorder that causes dementia. Many other illnesses or “syndromes” can also cause dementia. Parkinson’s Disease can cause dementia. A stroke can cause dementia. Even dehydration can cause dementia.

Many of the things that can cause dementia are treatable, even potentially curable.If you have taken your elder to the doctor and received a diagnosis of “dementia” you haven’t received a diagnosis at all. Unless you know what is causing the dementia you can’t begin to treat it’s root cause.

If your physician has diagnosed “dementia” it’s time for a second opinion. You are probably dealing either with a physician who is not comfortable with the truth, or one who doesn't know how (or doesn't want to bother) to differentiate between all the possible causes of dementia. Either way, a skilled geriatrician or a neurologist who is comfortable with seniors would be a good place to start.

In the United Kingdom, the Alzheimers Society claimed in a recent survey that over 750,000 people suffered from Alzheimers and related dementia problems. In the United States it is calculated that an estimated 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimers and that this figure has doubled since 1980.

Further alarming statistics highlight the fact that it is possible that in the US alone, the number of people suffering from Alzheimers could more than double to between 11.5 and 13 million sufferers by 2050.

Alzheimers disease is what is described as a progressive disorder of the brain that gradually destroys a person’s memory, ability to learn, reason, make judgements, communicate and carry out daily tasks. As the disease progresses, sufferers may also experience changes in their personality and display such behavioural changes ranging from anxiety, agitation or suspicion right up to and / or including delusions and hallucinations.

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimers, new treatments are on the horizon as a result of accelerating insight into the biology of the disease. Research has also shown that effective care and support can improve quality of life for individuals and their caregivers over the course of the disease from diagnosis to the end of life.

Considering the long term implications for Alzheimers sufferers, the hidden impact rests on the shoulders of those who care for sufferers for it is indeed a bittersweet irony that those who care for the sufferers in reality suffer more than the sufferers do themselves.

This fact in itself has been largely responsible for another survey finding recently and that was the fact that Americans are equally afraid of caring for someone who has Alzheimers as much as they are of developing the disease themselves. Approximately 1 in 2 American adults are more apprehensive of caring for partner or loved one who has developed Alzheimers.

The real problem from a carers perspective is that no two people experience Alzheimers disease in the same way. As a result, there’s no one approach to care giving. Your care giving responsibilities can range from making financial decisions, managing changes in behaviour, to helping a loved one get dressed in the morning.

Handling these duties is hard work. However by learning care giving skills, you can make sure that your loved one feels supported and is living a full life. You can also ensure that you are taking steps to preserve your own well-being.

Caring for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or another illness involving dementia can be very difficult, time-consuming, and stressful.

youtube

1 note · View note