What is the reason behind your forgetfulness? Is it age-related dementia or is it Alzheimer’s?
Keep reading to know the difference between them and how you can prevent and treat them.
Dementia is a general term that is used by doctors to describe the symptoms of memory impairment, such as problems in thinking, remembering, performing regular activities, and communication skills. Sometimes people lose control over their emotions, and their personality also changes.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys your memory and other mental functions, such as thinking, language, thoughts, and the ability to do tasks.
Both dementia and Alzheimer’s are mostly found in adults over 65, but neither is associated with aging. While some types of dementia are treatable, Alzheimer’s disease has no cure. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness, or log on to www.doralhw.org.
Does aging lead to memory loss?
Aging is part of our lives; we can’t change it. As we age, our bodies start losing their efficiency. But here is the thing: everybody ages differently due to their genetics, environment, and lifestyle habits. Some people have genes that make them age more slowly than others. Also, if you can maintain a good and healthy lifestyle, your body stays younger for a long time, and the loss of mental and physical functions will be delayed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this type of aging, where a person can stay younger compared to others of a similar age, by making good eating and lifestyle choices, is called healthy aging. Only a small percentage of people can achieve healthy aging.
On the other hand, many people are not able to make healthy choices. And in aging, one loses normal body functions such as vision, memory loss, muscle loss, weakness, and much more. Some people might develop dementia.
Difference between dementia related to aging vs. Alzheimer’s disease
Aging is a normal life process that you can’t avoid, while Alzheimer’s is a disease that can happen to some people. While both progress with time, aging not only affects mental but also physical and emotional abilities, while Alzheimer’s only attacks mental functions of the brain.
In age-related dementia, these are the symptoms that you might experience:
- You can forget people’s names, occasions, things, tasks, etc.
- take a long time to think and arrive at a decision
- sometimes forget what you’re talking about
While in Alzheimer’s disease, you might:
- Forget the names of your family members and relatives, and friends
- Frequently forget important appointments and events
- Have trouble speaking and choosing the right words to communicate
- Keep repeating questions regularly
- Forget where you put items and things, etc.
Treatment
Although Alzheimer’s is not curable, you can treat dementia if you know the type and cause of dementia.
Even though Alzheimer’s does not have a cure but there are some remedies and medications available that help control its symptoms.
- Antipsychotics are used to control behavioral changes.
- For memory loss, cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and rivastigmine medications are used. Antidepressants are available for sleeping and depression problems.
- Coconut and fish oil are used as alternative remedies to boost mental health or overall health.
Treating dementia is possible. Treatment can be done according to the conditions that cause dementia, such as drugs, tumors, metabolic disorders, hypoglycemia, etc. For example, if a patient has vascular dementia, treatment will be more focused on preventing further damage to the brain’s blood vessels to prevent stroke. Some people with dementia may need nurses or caregivers for support services.
Prevention
To reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, you can develop these habits:
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Maintain good body weight. Do 150 minutes (about 2 and a half hours) of workouts a week or do aerobic activities.
- Quit smoking.
- Quit alcohol or drink alcohol in moderation.
- Keep your blood pressure under control.
- Learn to control your stress, depression, anxiety, etc.
Aging, dementia, and Alzheimer’s might be different from each other. But every single one of them affects the neurological health of the person. If you have noticed early symptoms of these conditions in yourself or people around you, visit a doctor to start treatment to avoid further complications.
Want to know how to avoid dementia and Alzheimer’s disease? We encourage you to reach out to the Doral Health & Wellness Behavioral Health Department to connect with our compassionate team. Call us to book your appointment now!!!! For further inquiries, call us on +1- 718-367-2555 to get a consultation. We have some of the finest psychiatrist doctors who listen to your concerns, examine your symptoms, and create a treatment plan to improve your condition as soon as possible. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors and psychiatrists to learn those methods, log on to www.doralw.org. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
