When it comes to differentiating Alzheimer's and dementia, a lot of confusion is experienced and especially because most people use the two words interchangeably. Although slightly related, the two words are very different. In simple explanation, Alzheimer's is one cause of the symptoms of dementia while dementia is a symptom that can be caused by different factors; Alzheimer's being one of the causes.
In short, dementia is a symptom whereas Alzheimer's disease is the cause. Dr. Robert Stern, who is the Director of Boston University of Alzheimer's disease center provides a more detailed description that highlights the difference between Alzheimers and dementia.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people around the world who are suffering from dementia. Though, it is not a disease, dementia is actually a collection of symptoms that can affect a person's mental activity including reasoning as well as memory. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and it is most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia can have a devastating impact on a person's ability to function independently as dementia progresses. Older people's major cause of disability is often linked with dementia and this puts an emotional as well as financial burden on the caregivers and family members of the patients.
There are numerous causes of dementia, some reversible while others are not. Vitamins deficiencies and thyroid conditions can be reversed, as long as the underlying problem is identified and treated. However, other causes of dementia are not reversible. They are considered degenerative diseases that are detrimental to the brain over time. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease(AD), which accounts for 80% of all dementia cases. It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease. As they grow older, so do the prevalence increases. It is approximated that 50% of individuals aged 85 year and above have the disease.
Although Alzheimer's is just one symptom of dementia, it is hard to identify and might even be identified after death by carrying out a microscopic test of the patient's brains. However, the worst thing is that even after being the most difficult symptom of dementia to identify, of all people suffering from dementia 60-70 percent has Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's affects the patient's memory which starts to show after the patient reaches sixty years. In older people; over 60 years; the disease can take up to 3 years before the person passes on. However, this is different from younger people; it can take longer before they pass away. On the other hand, on much elderly people who are over 80 years can take less than 3 years after Alzheimer's symptoms show.
If a person has Alzheimer's disease, the damage to the brain can begin even before the symptoms show. There are abnormal protein deposits that form plaques and tangles in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's. The connections between the cells are lost, thus they begin to die.
In general, accurate diagnosis of "probable AD" can be excellent in some specialty memory clinics. With new discoveries, the accuracy of AD diagnosis is likely to see an improvement.
In short, dementia is a symptom whereas Alzheimer's disease is the cause. Dr. Robert Stern, who is the Director of Boston University of Alzheimer's disease center provides a more detailed description that highlights the difference between Alzheimers and dementia.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people around the world who are suffering from dementia. Though, it is not a disease, dementia is actually a collection of symptoms that can affect a person's mental activity including reasoning as well as memory. It can be caused by a variety of conditions and it is most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia can have a devastating impact on a person's ability to function independently as dementia progresses. Older people's major cause of disability is often linked with dementia and this puts an emotional as well as financial burden on the caregivers and family members of the patients.
There are numerous causes of dementia, some reversible while others are not. Vitamins deficiencies and thyroid conditions can be reversed, as long as the underlying problem is identified and treated. However, other causes of dementia are not reversible. They are considered degenerative diseases that are detrimental to the brain over time. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease(AD), which accounts for 80% of all dementia cases. It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease. As they grow older, so do the prevalence increases. It is approximated that 50% of individuals aged 85 year and above have the disease.
Although Alzheimer's is just one symptom of dementia, it is hard to identify and might even be identified after death by carrying out a microscopic test of the patient's brains. However, the worst thing is that even after being the most difficult symptom of dementia to identify, of all people suffering from dementia 60-70 percent has Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's affects the patient's memory which starts to show after the patient reaches sixty years. In older people; over 60 years; the disease can take up to 3 years before the person passes on. However, this is different from younger people; it can take longer before they pass away. On the other hand, on much elderly people who are over 80 years can take less than 3 years after Alzheimer's symptoms show.
If a person has Alzheimer's disease, the damage to the brain can begin even before the symptoms show. There are abnormal protein deposits that form plaques and tangles in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's. The connections between the cells are lost, thus they begin to die.
In general, accurate diagnosis of "probable AD" can be excellent in some specialty memory clinics. With new discoveries, the accuracy of AD diagnosis is likely to see an improvement.
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If you are looking for information on the various stages when it comes to dementia, then please visit the website. It is an excellent resource for people wanting a brief introduction to the illness. It also has useful information regarding The Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer's?.
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