"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.
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.
Stage 1: No impairment
The patient will be normally functioning like any other normal human being. This individual will experience no memory problems and thus the Alzheimer disease will not be evident to health care professional.
Stage 2: Very Mild Cognitive decline
Basically in this stage the person with Alzheimer disease will start having the basic symptoms of very mild cognitive decline like forgetting of glasses, memory lapse or loss especially of names or familiar word and locations. But these symptoms will basically be ignored or be termed as normal age related changes, whereas these are the early signs of Alzheimer disease. These symptoms again will not be evident to medical practitioner and even to family, friends or co workers.
Stage 3: Mild Cognitive decline
This is the stage when people living with the affected person recognize of him having some problem. This is the stage when Alzheimer disease can be diagnosed, yet all individuals suffering are not diagnosed in this stage. In this stage, patient suffers form problems with memory and concentration.
Symptoms of dementia can be classified as either reversible or irreversible depending upon the etiology of the disease. Less than 10% of all dementias are reversible. Dementia is a non-specific term that encompasses many disease processes, just as fever is attributable to many etiologies.
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.
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