When we are grown up we all fail to remember things. Several adults have minor memory loss and it does not really influence on a daily basis. Loss of memory that gets bad indicate one can have dementia.

Dementia is a severe condition of the mind where mental skills are lost hence greatly affecting the person’s daily living. It can cause troubles on how a person assume and plan. Dementia may be the end result of an injury of the brain that may lead to an enduring decline in  a person's cognitive functions. It may arise in any period of maturity. It is typically due to causes that are not curable and are progressive.

Dementia has many set of signs and symptoms (syndrome), in which it may affect the area of the mind’s language, solving problems, attention, and memory. In order to be diagnosed, it is usually necessary that signs of dementia has been present for at least six months. If it is shorter or less than weeks, it is called delirium. Higher mental functions in all kinds of cognitive dysfunction are the first  to be affected in the development of the disease. In the later stages of the disease, persons who are affected may have time disorientation. They fail to know what day of the month, what year it is, or even the day of the week. They also do not know other people that surround them, and worst, they do not even know who they are.

The reversibility and irreversibility of dementia’s symptoms vary on the disease’s etiology. Below 10 percent of this case results to causes that currently may be reversed by any kind of treatment. This includes pain, shortness of breath, or yellowish discoloration of the skin (jaundice). Dementia and delirium have the same symptoms and also common in regards to its duration, so without cautious review of history, delirium can be simply befuddled with dementia. There are also symptoms in psychosis and depression that must be identified from dementia and delirium. Unceasing use of alcohol, can affect the mind of a patient indicative of dementia.

Dementia can result from an injury or damage to the brain which includes strokes, head injuries, tumors or diseases which involves the brain (dementia with Lewy bodies, dementia on frontotemporal part of the brain and even Parkinson’s disease). In other cases, it can also result from a problem that is reversible. This may comprise of lack of Vitamin B12, upsurge of fluid in the brain or hypothyroidism (thyroid gland is not active). To treat dementia in these cases, it is a must to treat the underlying cause of that specific problem.

In order to diagnose dementia, the physician will do a physical assessment; ask questions regarding the patient’s life events and illnesses (recent and past). To confirm information, the physician will talk to a family member.  After that, to test the patient’s cognitive skills and memory, he/she will be asked to do simple things like to be asked about what year and day it is, to repeat words or to sketch  the face of a clock. The physician may also do examination to inspect the thyroid or if there are any infections of the blood. There will be also brain tests such as, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography of the brain (CT scan) to detect if there is an injury, tumor, or dwindling parts of the brain.

Medicines that can be taken for dementia cannot absolutely cure it however, it can lessen the effects of dementia for a while to make life simple and easy. Mental and behavioral strategies can be of great help in this situation. Emotional support and education can be significant as well. Medications such as the Cholinesterase inhibitors are used on the course of the disease. As a person gets older, medicines may further affect them. Some medicines produce symptoms that appear like dementia. It is important that the physician knows all your prescribed medications including all medicines that can be bought without prescription, vitamins, herbal medicines, and supplements.

The probability of having dementia rises as a person gets older. They also may get disheartened, annoyed, and displeased with it. It is important and very helpful if one makes his/her social life active. Stay in good physical shape, have a work out and your cholesterol and blood pressure should maintain its normal levels.

See your doctor if you or there is a loved one who is suffering from memory loss. Prevention is always better than cure, but if it is diagnosed as dementia, do not lose heart because several treatments are available that may help.