Dementia Disease

Dementia is a broad term which describes mental decline. It involves the deterioration of the function of the brain. As a result, the affected individuals may experience memory issues, a poor sense of orientation, language difficulties, cognitive disabilities or any other related problems.

Causes

Dementia usually occurs at an old age. It is caused due to brain damage. Such damage may occur due to a disease which affects the brain and damages it.

Symptoms

Dementia leads to one or more of the following symptoms.

• Memory loss is quite common. The affected people face difficulty remembering ordinary, day-to-day incidences. They may have issues recalling recent events.
• Concentrating on a task becomes difficult. These include tasks which involve simple planning and organizing, such as cooking.
• The affected individuals face trouble carrying out a simple conversation. They often find themselves looking for the right word to complete an ordinary sentence.
• These individuals cannot see objects in 3 dimensions.
• The sense of orientation is also affected. There is difficulty in judging and calculating distances.
• A general state of confusion exists. The affected folks lose track of the day and date.
• There are mood swings, irritability as well as frustration.

Facts about Dementia

Here are some informative facts about dementia.

• It is a progressive disorder. This means the symptoms become more serious with the passage of time.
• According to WHO statistics, at present, around 47.5 million people all over the world are suffering from dementia.
• In the later stages of the disease, the affected individuals may also suffer from certain physical issues. These include muscle weakness and loss of weight.
• Currently, there are no medical treatments available which can prevent dementia.
• The disorder is a global issue. It affects individual all around the globe regardless of gender or ethnicity.
• An affected individual may also show signs of delusions and hallucinations.

How Long Can a Person Live with Dementia?

Dementia is a disorder which impairs the function of brain. The most serious effect is on the memory. The disorder moves towards severity. So, it starts affecting an individual’s daily life. A person suffers from poor judgment and language issues.

Other issues include a damaged sense of orientation and serious forgetfulness. None of these symptoms is fatal. However, medical researchers have linked the disorder to shorter life spans.

There are different types of dementia. How long can a person live with dementia depends on the type of the disorder. Here are some of the major types of the disorder.

1. Alzheimer’s Disease

This is one of the most common types of dementia. Research shows that people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease only live up to eight to ten years after diagnosis. However, the total life span depends upon the overall condition of the health as well age.

Physically fit individuals can live longer. Similarly, people with dementia at the age of 60 may live longer than those who contract the disease at 80 years or above.

2. Frontotemporal Dementia

In the case of frontotemporal dementia, the victims survive only up to eight years after diagnosis. However, the life expectancy varies from person to person. It depends on various factors such as the health condition and age.

3. Vascular Dementia

People with vascular dementia only manage to survive for up to four years after the onset of the disease. This is because the disorder causes strokes. The health condition of the victims is poorer in comparison with those suffering from other forms of dementia.

4. Dementia at a Young Age

The young-onset dementia causes more deaths than the condition developing around sixty years of age. In this case, individuals may begin to develop the symptoms between 30 to 50 years of age. Their life expectancy is a couple of years less than those who contract the disease at an older age.