Condition : Memory loss and dementia

Condition Memory loss and dementia

What are memory loss and dementia?

Forgetting things occasionally is normal, especially as you get older, but if you’re having regular problems with your memory, it could be a sign that something’s wrong.

In many cases, the cause can be treated.

Memory loss that affects your daily life may be a sign of something more serious, such as dementia. Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) linked to an ongoing decline of brain functioning.

Your symptoms will depend on which areas of your brain have been damaged. In addition to memory, you may have problems with:

thinking speed
mental sharpness and quickness
language (using words incorrectly, or having trouble speaking)
understanding
judgement
mood
movement
performing daily activities

What causes memory loss and dementia?

Memory problems do not necessarily mean you have dementia. It might be a side effect of medication or linked to a brain injury or an illness, such as depression or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). In your later years, you may experience some memory loss as a natural part of ageing.

There are a variety of diseases that can cause dementia. In most of these diseases, there is something damaging brain cells, causing them to not function properly and eventually die, which leads to affected areas of the brain shrinking.;

In the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, brain cells are lost due to an abnormal build-up of proteins. Another common type of dementia is vascular dementia which is caused by a decline in blood flow, often as the result of a stroke. It is possible to have mixed dementia, where there is a combination of causes.