Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may share common symptoms but there is a marked difference between these two problems of aging. Everyone as they age may lose their keys and may have some problems remembering facts and figures. For many older Americans, this is a common sign of aging. Dementia is a serious brain disorder that covers a wide spectrum of cognitive problems while Alzheimer’s disease has unique physical and brain conditions that other dementia disorders do not share.

Dementia is a common problem in the elderly population. It is estimated that as many as four million Americans live with some degree of dementia. The symptoms of dementia can be described as a collection of symptoms that indicate that the thinking process is deteriorating.

These symptoms affect the individual in a variety of ways but they all the symptoms of dementia have a devastating affect on the quality of life. Individuals suffering from dementia lose some of their ability to carry out daily activities. One effect of the disease is that a key brain chemical acetylcholine is lost. The loss of this important chemical can contribute to some of the symptoms of both dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Acetylcholine is produced in several locations in the brain including the basal forebrain. It thought that this chemical promotes learning. Acetylcholine-producing cells in the basal forebrain are damaged in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which are believed to contribute to the loss of memory which are an early symptom of the disease.

Dementia is also caused by the destruction of brain cells. The destruction may be caused by a head injury, a stroke, or a brain tumor. Some people have a family history of dementia. Dementia may also change a person’s mood and personality. As the dementia progresses, mood swings and other disruptive behaviors may become apparent. The person who has dementia may not be aware of these problems.

Some of the signs or symptoms of dementia may include:
Problems with memory Problem with orientation Having difficulty making plans Difficulty with dressing Difficulty with common tasks, Making a phone call, Using cooking utensil Difficulty performing simple math problems Difficulty with language

Dementia-like symptoms can also develop as a result of other lifestyle condition, such as alcohol or substance abuse, vitamin deficiency and certain infectious diseases. Although Alzheimer’s Disease accounts for nearly 60 percent of all dementia cases; all cases of dementia are not Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is a unique brain disorder that affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Alzheimer’s usually begins after age 60.

It is important to classify the type of dementia that the patient is experiencing. An appointment with a health care specialist to confirm a specific diagnosis. Some forms of dementia can be successfully treated with drugs. Once the patient and the family understand what is causing the dementia-like symptom, a treatment plan to address the root cause can be put in place.

By: Linda J Bruton

About the Author:

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I am worried about my Grandfather. His brother, father and grandfather all have/had Alzheimers.

How do you tell the difference between Alzheimers and memory loss due to ageing?

If you do notice the signs early, can something be done?

Thanks a lot

Me and my family have just found out that my dad is in the early stages of alzheimers. I am just wonder how long my dad will be o.k. before the disease begins to change who he is, and also what are some things i can do with my dad to help him.

Alzheimer’s disease. It strikes fear into the heart of any older person, and with good reason. It is one of the most insidious diseases suffered by older people. But is there a line between turmeric and Alzheimer’s control?

It seems to be clear that there is a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in societies that eat a lot of turmeric. In fact the lowest incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the world is in many Indian villages, and of course the Indians eat a lot of curry. The rate of Alzheimer’s disease amongst the elderly in these villages is around 1%, a pretty low incidence. Turmeric is an essential ingredient of a good curry, it provides that distinctive yellow color that you see in curries.

Now of course the fact that Alzheimer’s disease is lower in India and the fact that Indians eat curry doesn’t prove that turmeric prevents Alzheimer’s disease, but it may well show a link between turmeric and Alzheimer’s prevention sufficient to suggest it should be studied.

The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin. And there are studies that have shown that curcumin can help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice, so there appears to be a clear link between turmeric and Alzheimer’s disease control.

And there is also studies showing a reduction in brain damage in rats using curcumin. And curcumin is known to be a powerful antioxidant and very effective in inflammatory control. Now of course before the link between turmeric and Alzheimer’s control is shown there needs to be fully blown human trials, and these can often take years and years.

However those who are concerned about Alzheimer’s may wish to include turmeric in their daily intake before this, years and years away may be too late. Now of course you could just eat lots of curries. Lots. But there is a better way.

The world’s best dietary supplements include turmeric, or curcumin, along with 77 other vitamins and minerals and anti oxidants in a daily nutritional supplement that should deliver a wide range of nutrients essential for optimum health. And these supplements also include a generous dose of Resveratrol, one of the most exciting discoveries of the last 2 decades in the field of natural health supplements.

So if you’re worried about those diseases that seem to afflict us as we age, you could wait for 10 or more years for proof of the link between turmeric and Alzheimer’s disease, or you could start taking a complete nutritional supplement daily, as a preventative, and get a daily intake of a massive range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other ingredients that help keep you healthier as you age.

Or you could just eat curry every day.

By: Peter Dawson

About the Author:

[carpwp:amazon{alzheimers}][/carpwp]

When I studied 20 years ago, Alzheimers was a brain disease which was one cause of dementia and could have an early onset. Now the terms seem to be synonyms. Please answer only if you are a professional and work in health care.

They both have Alzheimers and live in an Alzheimers Assisted Living facility. They gave all the residents a regular flu shot, (if they wanted it), however, the nurses say there has been no mention from the doctor of offering the H1N1 vaccine. We are in Ohio. Anyone have a similar situation?

Theodore “Tado” & Elizabeth “Betty” Ercius Of Hingham MA, formally of Cleveland Ohio share a lifetime of special pictures with their friends, family and you. Ted (91) and Betty (88) have been married for 69 years and both have Alzheimer;s Disease. They enjoy going to Active Day Adult Daycare and have made many new friends that are afflicted with the same disease. Please feel free to leave text comments and also vote on the video, as they enjoy having the comments read to them. Thanks and Enjoy …

if you catch alzheimers right at the first symptoms , and you get on medication, can you prevent it? someone I know is 59 and alzeimers is hereditery in her family. what ways can she prevent it. she doesnt smoke, no diseases but she stresses alot. any help?
“catch” i mean realize that you have it

I think I heard at one point that aluminum can give you alzheimers, like drinking soda from aluminum cans, or eating food that had been cooked in aluminum pots or that had been lying around in tin foil or aluminum cans ( like canned fruit). Is this true? I know that researchers have said that they found an aluminum like sludge in the brains of alzheimers patients.

I am a 20 year old college student and I live with my grandma who is developing dementia. Can anyone recommend a good book on caregiving for people with dementia?