Dementia 

It’s normally the elderly person that people assume get diagnosed with dementia. Older people apparently are more likely to develop this specific disease that harms the brain than that of others. Conditions that harm the areas that control thinking, memory, reasoning and language can result in dementia.

It's a rare condition that you don’t see many people under the age of 60 affected by, but it supposedly affects one person in 20 over the age of 65 and one in five over 80 years of age. 

If a person has been diagnosed with dementia it's essential the cause is determined as far as possible because in some unique cases the disease is reversible. 

Even when the cause is not reversible, a proper diagnosis is vital as different drugs are suggested for treating different sorts of dementia. 

Causes of Dementia might include: 

• Diseases resulting in progressive degeneration or death of nerve cells. These include Alzheimer's (which is responsible for more than 50% of cases), Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and a set of conditions referred to as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Another condition, called Lewy Body dementia, affects approximately 20% of people with dementia. 
• Conditions, like atherosclerosis, that damage the blood vessels supplying the brain. This type of dementia is known as vascular dementia and responsible for about 20% of dementia cases. 
• Conditions creating a dementia that can be reversed with special treatment. These include hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), vitamin B12 deficiency, folate deficiency, syphilis of the nervous system, subdural haematoma (a blood clot round the brain, (normally following trauma to the head), hypercalcaemia (abnormally high calcium levels), undiagnosed diabetes, brain tumours or infections, and a condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus. 
• Some specific types of medicine can meddle with concentration and memory, producing dementia-like symptoms. These include tranquilisers and sleeping tablets, antidepressants and particular drugs with an anticholinergic effect (for instance, some hay fever and cold solutions, some stomach ulcer drugs and treatments for diarrhoea). 

Dementia symptoms 

If you notice a change in a family member or friends personality, or that they seem to have problems remembering things bring them to see a doctor.  

Dementia typically develops gradually, and three sorts of symptoms may appear: 

• Cognitive problems – trouble with understanding, memory or thinking, calculation, learning capacity, language and judgement. 
• Functional problems – problem with carrying out complex tasks and, as the condition advances, difficulty with daily living activities, such as personal hygiene and putting on clothes 
• Emotional problems - mood swings, loss of emotional control and a withdrawal from prior interests, activities and social connections. 

If there are signs of dementia in someone you know, don’t hesitate to get them help. Even if you are not sure it is still best to check these things out.