Types of dementia and common signs and symptoms Essay Example for Free

Types of insanity and common signs and symptoms turn outThe term frenzy describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms pop off when the brain is damaged by certain conditions and complaints, including Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Age is the greatest riskiness factor for dementia. monomania affects iodin in 14 people all over the age of 65 and one in six over the age of 80. However, dementia is not restricted to older people in the UK, there atomic number 18 over 17,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia, although this figure is likely to be an underestimate. Alzheimers DiseaseAlzheimers disease affects around 496,000 people in the United Kingdom and is the roughly common cause of dementia. Alzheimers disease is a physical disease which affects the brain. It was first described by a German neurologist, Alois Alzheimer. During the cour se of the disease, protein plaques and tangles develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. sight with Alzheimers also have a shortage of some important chemicals in their brain which argon involved with the transmission of messages. Alzheimers is a progressive disease, meaning that over sequence more split of the brain are damaged. As this happens, the symptoms become more severe. People in the early stages of Alzheimers disease may experience lapses of memory and have problems finding the right words.As the disease progresses, some symptoms that a person may experience are Confusion frequently forgetting the names of people, places, appointments and recent events. Mood swings olfaction sad or angry, or scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss. Withdrawal repayable to either a loss of confidence or communication problems. Difficulty when carrying out everyday activities a person with Alzheimers may get muddled checking their change at the shops or become unsettled how to work the television remote. So far, no one single factor has been identified as a cause for Alzheimers disease. It is likely that a combination of factors includingage, genetic inheritance, environmental factors, lifestyle and overall general health, are responsible. In some people, the disease may develop silently for many years before symptoms appear.vascular DementiaVascular dementia is the second most common hit of dementia after Alzheimers disease. It is caused by problems in the supply of note to the brain. Brain cells need a good supply of demarcation in order to be healthy and function properly. Blood is delivered through a network of smear vessels called the vascular system. If the vascular system within the brain becomes damaged and blood cannot reach the brain cells, the cells departing eventually die. This can lead to the onset of vascular dementia. Factors that can increase a persons risk of developing vascular dementia inc lude A medical history of stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes (particularly type II), heart problems or sleep apnoea (where breathing stops for a few seconds or minutes during sleep). A lack of physical activity, drinking more that recommended levels of alcohol, smoking, eating a fatty aliment or leaving conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes untreated. A family history of stroke or cardiovascular disease.An Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Sri Lankan ethnic background as deviations in vascular risk factors (such as heart disease) in these communities may contribute to the increased risk. An African-Caribbean ethnic background. on that point are different types of vascular dementia Stroke-related dementia, sub-cortical vascular dementia and mixed dementia (vascular dementia and Alzheimers disease). The difference between these types depends on what has caused the damage in the brain and which part of the brain has been damaged.Common signs and sym ptoms of vascular dementia may include Problems with speed of thinking, concentration and communication. Depression and anxiety accompanying the dementia.Symptoms of a stroke, such as physical weakness or paralysis. Seizures.Periods of severe confusion. opthalmic mistakes and misperceptions (for example, seeing a rug as a pond). Changes in behaviour (for example, rest littleness).Difficulties with walking and unsteadiness.Hallucinations and delusions.Problems with continence.Psychological symptoms such as becoming more obsessive.Dementia with Lewy BodiesDementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a spurt of dementia which shares characteristics with both Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. It accounts for around 10% of all cases of dementia in older people and tends to be under-diagnosed. Named after the doctor who first identified them in 1912, Lewy bodies are tiny, spherical protein deposits found in nerve cells. Their presence in the brain disrupts the brains practice functioning, interr upting the action of important chemical messengers. Lewy bodies are also found in the brains of people with Parkinsons disease, a progressive neurological disease that affects movement. Dementia with Lewy bodies is also a progressive disease, which means that over time the symptoms will become worse. DLB progresses at about the same rate as Alzheimers disease, typically over several years.Symptoms of DLB can include Problems with attention and alertness, often have spatial disorientation and experience impediment with executive function, which includes difficulty in planning ahead and co-ordination mental activities. Memory is affected, although it is typically less so than in Alzheimers disease. Slowness. muscle stiffness. trembling of the limbs, a tendency to shuffle when walking, loss of facial nerve expression and changes in the strength and tone of the voice. Experience detailed and convincing visual hallucinations, often of people or animals. Find that their abilities fluctu ate daily or hourly.Fall asleep very easily by day, and have restless, disturbed nights with confusion, nightmares and hallucinations. Faint, fall or have funny turns.Researchers have yet to understand fully why Lewy bodies occur in the brain and how they cause damage.Creutzfeldt-Jakob DiseaseCreutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) is a rare form of dementia. Rarer forms of dementia account for around only 5% of all dementia cases in the UK. CJD is caused by an contagious disease protein in the brain called a prion. These prions accumulate at high levels in the brain and cause permanent damage to nerve cells. There are four main types of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Sporadic CJD, variant CJD, familial or inherited CJD and iatrogenic CJD. Sporadic CJD, which normally affects people over 40, is the most common form of the disease. It is estimated that the disease affects about one out of every 1 million people every year. There may be many years between a person being infected and the inform ation of symptoms. Symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease include Loss of intellect and memory.Change in personality.Loss of balance and co-ordination.Slurred speech.Visual problems and blindness.Abnormal jerking movements.Progressive loss of brain function and mobility.Most people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease will die within a year of the symptoms starting, usually from infection. This is because the immobility caused by the disease can mold people with the condition vulnerable to infection.