Nowadays, Dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases are perhaps two of the most confused diseases that exist in the realm of mental degradation. There are a number of differences, however, that allow for those dealing with symptoms characteristic of these two diseases to become more informed.
Comparing the Two Diseases
In some sides, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are similar, but in the other hands, there are also differences need discussing.
Alzheimer’s disease is defined as a form of dementia characterized by the gradual loss of several important mental functions. Seniors are among the most those who easily suffer from this disease. They would gradually become forgetful, a sign of Alzheimer’s disease includes memory loss that is much more severe and more serious unless on time treatment. Those who got Alzheimer can sometimes forget the names of his/her children or perhaps where he or she’s lived for the last decade or two.
Dementia, on the other hand, is a medical term used to describe a number of conditions characterized by the gradual loss of intellectual functions. According to the American Medical Association, some certain symptoms of dementia are memory impairment, increased language difficulties, decreased motor skills, failure to recognized or identify objects, and disturbance of the ability to plan or think abstractly.
The differences of dementia vs. Alzheimer’s disease are also determined at the first onset of the disease. Of course, this is a very difficult thing since the progression of both is very gradual, and often someone cannot point out when exactly the disease was taken. Often the onset of Alzheimer’s can occur as early as 45 years of age. General dementia, however, usually is noted later in life, perhaps in the 70 to 80 year range.
When looking at dementia vs. Alzheimer’s disease, one type of dementia is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease – Multi-Infarct Dementia or MID. MID is a common cause of dementia in the elderly and occurs when blood clots block small blood vessels in the brain and destroys brain tissue. Symptoms of MID, which are very similar to Alzheimer’s disease, include confusion, problems with short term memory, wandering and getting lost in familiar places, loss of bladder and bowel control, and emotional problems such as laughing or crying during inappropriate times.