Dementia affects around 750,000 people in the UK. It usually affects older people, but can affect younger people although this is much rarer (over 16,000 people in the UK with dementia under the age of 65).
Dementia is a term applied to a number of different diseases but the common symptoms are:
- Loss of memory, particularly of recent events in the initial stages
- Mood changes, especially when the part of the brain that controls emotion is involved in the disease process
- Communication problems, seen as a decline in the ability to speak, read and write.
- As the disease progresses people will have problems carrying out everyday tasks like washing and dressing, cooking and cleaning and become more and more reliant on help from other people.
There are lots of different types of dementia and they have different causes. The commonest form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. The chemistry and structure of the brain changes over time and this leads to the death of brain cells. Vascular dementia is due to stroke, more usually a series of small strokes which slowly kill brain tissue. In this type of dementia, a person’s decline tends to be step wise as each successive stroke kills off more brain tissue. There are many other types of dementia, some very rare such as Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (CKD).
Some people have difficulty remembering to do things, but after tests it is found to be “Mild cognitive impairment”. A small number of people with this will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, but the risk is small – only 10-15%.
If you are concerned about yourself or a relative, it is important to seek help, so that a diagnosis can be made. It also helps as doctors can rule out (or discover) other illnesses that have symptoms similar to dementia, so that these can be treated appropriately. Having a proper diagnosis, although it will seem daunting and scary, helps as you can then prepare and plan for the future, either for yourself or your affected relative.
Most forms of dementia cannot be cured, but some can be helped to slow down the progression. Some people with Alzheimer’s disease will be offered drug therapy; people who have vascular dementia can be helped if underlying causes of their strokes are improved (high blood pressure controlled, cholesterol lowered, stopping smoking etc).
Because we really do not know what causes most of the forms of dementia, it is difficult to advise on prevention, however like most things, evidence seems to indicate that a healthy diet and lifestyle may help to protect. Do not smoke, exercise regularly, avoid fatty foods and keeping mentally active may help to reduce the risk of developing vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
If you are experiencing memory problems there are lots of things you can do to help yourself and make life so much easier. For everyday activities, do as children revising for exams. Make a “to do” list. Larger tasks should be broken up into smaller bite-sized chunks. Don’t try to do more than one thing at a time. Try to have a routine to your day and take your time. Use memory aids, keep a diary to note appointments and your “to do” lists – you can mark things off as you do them. Keep important things in the same place so you do not mislay them and important ‘phone numbers by the ‘phone so they are always to hand. Don’t try too hard to remember something; it will often pop back into your head later.
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If you are a carer for someone with dementia, don’t forget the Selsey and District Support Group who are there for carers who support people with any disability or disease.
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