As we age, it is common to become more forgetful and is often not due to dementia. There can be other reasons for memory loss. We all forget things from time to time. We tend to remember the things that are more important to us and forget the un-important.
Poor concentration is a common cause of memory loss. You do not notice things as much and so do not remember them. Most often poor concentration is because of being tired or bored, but can be a symptom of depression or anxiety.
Depression can slow down our thinking processes and as a result cause memory problems. Physical illnesses also affect concentration. An underactive thyroid slows down the body’s functions and makes you forgetful. Urinary tract or chest infections are common causes of confusion and memory loss in the elderly.
Drugs can often affect thinking processes, particularly if they make you feel sleepy.
Age associated memory impairment is common over the age of 60. It is not dementia. It is harder to learn new skills as we age, however the more we try to learn new things the better our memory remains.
Dementia is a disease of the brain causing gradual loss of mental ability, encompassing not only memory problems, but difficulty in understanding, judgement, language and thinking. Anyone affected may find day to day activities and in particular the ability to look after themselves being eroded.
There are a number of different forms of dementia, the most common being Alzheimer’s disease where there is a slow shrinkage of the brain as nerve fibres and the chemicals that allow signals to be transmitted around the brain reduce. We do not know why this happens. The next commonest is Vascular dementia (Multi-infarct dementia). Here small blood vessels in the brain are damaged and there are numerous small strokes in the brain. As tiny sections of brain tissue die because of the damage, the person’s mental ability also declines. Your risk of developing this type of dementia is related to your risk of stroke, i.e. smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc. There other more rare forms of dementia and occasionally a person can suffer form more than one type (mixed dementia).Dementia is a common problem.
- After the age of 65 about 1 in 20 people will develop dementia.
- Over 85 about 1 in 5 people are living with dementia.
- It is rare in young people.
Symptoms of all types of dementia are similar.
Loss of mental ability.
Memory problems are the most obvious. Often memory for things in the past is preserved much longer than recent events. Memory for common facts is poor, such as who is the Prime Minister, and they often have difficulty finding words. Language problems can develop so that processing speech or written information becomes difficult. People with dementia may ask questions all the time or appear restless. New surroundings and people can be very taxing and confusing to a dementia sufferer which is why they will often cope better in their own home when the dementia is mild.
Changes in mood, behaviour and personality.
A person with dementia may appear easily irritated and moody. In the early stages the person may realize that their mental ability is failing and will become depressed. However most are unaware and may remain cheerful. More challenging behaviour may develop over time. Some people with dementia can become disinhibited and behave quite out of character, which can be distressing to relatives and friends. Others may become agitated or aggressive and the behaviour may be directed towards their carers.
Problems carrying out day to day activites.
Self care becomes a problem over time. Without prompting and help, hygiene may be neglected, medication forgotten and routine house work become too difficult. When cooking and eating become difficult it will result in weight loss. Driving is another issue that will need addressing as the sufferer is unable to drive safely.
The speed of progression in dementia is very variable from person to person. In most, symptoms develop very slowly, often over many years.
Diagnosis can be difficult and recognition of a problem is the first hurdle. Family and friends tend to protect the affected person, but it is also often they who present the problem to a doctor. If you have concerns about either yourself or a family member or friend, you should see your doctor or encourage your relative or friend to see their doctor. The doctor can then start to look into reasons for the memory or other problems, usually with blood tests and a short test of memory skills. Your doctor may then refer you to a specialist.
The sad fact is that currently there is no cure for dementia. Som medication can help in some forms of dementia, and with vascular dementia, steps can be taken to try and halt the vascular insults to the brain.
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