What Is Dementia? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

TheIndonesia.id - Dementia is a health problem that is most prone to the elderly. This health condition makes the sufferers unable to think and control their emotions to the point of interfering with their daily activities. 

Although it is usually experienced by people over 65 years old, some sufferers develop dementia when they are in their 40s or 50s. This guide will show you the symptoms, causes, and treatment of dementia. 

What is dementia? 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dementia is a syndrome that causes a decline in cognitive function. People with multiple dementia experience impaired memory, thinking, understanding something, counting, learning, speaking, and weighing things. 

Some people with dementia sometimes have difficulty controlling their emotions and experience personality changes. These health problems can be mild to severe. 

When dementia is severe, sufferers need to rely on the people around them to move. 

Signs and symptoms of dementia 

Signs and symptoms of dementia can vary, depending on the root cause and cognitive condition before the illness. Dementia symptoms generally appear in three stages, namely early, middle, and late. 

According to the NIH, here are some of the symptoms of dementia: 

• Easily forgetful and confused
• Difficulty speaking, understanding what other people are saying, not being able express thoughts, reading or writing
• Getting lost or forgetting directions in familiar places
• Unable to count, to the point of difficulty using money
• Repeats the same question
• Speaks in unconventional words to refer to familiar objects
• Takes a long time to complete daily tasks
• Seriously impaired memory to the point of not being able to recognize time and place
• Unable to recognize family and friends
• Unable to take care of self feelings of others
• Difficulty walking due to balance disturbances and problems with body movements
• Becoming more aggressive, thus acting impulsively 

There are many types of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia.

Causes of dementia 

The cause of dementia comes from changes in the condition of the brain. Several factors can affect changes in the brain, including 

• Age, usually experienced by the elderly over 65 years
• Genetic mutations
• Lack of movement
• Smoking habits
• Effects of alcohol and drug consumption
• Excess body weight
• Mental health problems such as depression and social isolation
• Low cognitive activity
• Air pollution
• Hereditary factors 

Although several factors can increase a person's chances of developing dementia, some sufferers experience this health problem without a definite cause.

How to treat dementia 

There hasn't been any cure for dementia. However, these health problems can be controlled with medication and therapy to improve the quality of life for sufferers and their caregivers. 

The main goal of dementia care is to optimize physical health and cognitive function. In addition, caregivers also need to be provided with information to accompany people with dementia. 

Make sure you consult a doctor if you have symptoms of dementia. With proper treatment, these health problems can be controlled. As much as possible, do not give people with dementia the opportunity to drive, so as not to endanger their safety. 

In order not to get lost, make sure the sufferer carries an identity card and emergency contact number when leaving the house.