Memory loss (Dementia)

What is amnesia?

Dementia is a disease that occurs when brain cells function less well and die faster than normal. It is not part of the normal aging process and there is currently no medical cure.

Dementia causes a decline in mental capacity, judgment, and behavior, leading to memory loss, decreased intellectual capacity, and personality changes. Dementia can affect adults at any stage of life, but it is more common in people over 65. According to statistics from the World Alzheimer Report 2015, the rate of dementia in Vietnam is about 5% of the population over 60 years old. For every 3 people who live to 75 years old, 1 person will have Alzheimer's.

The five most common types of dementia are:

• Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, accounting for about 60-80% of dementia cases.
• Vascular dementia (multiple infarct dementia) is memory loss after experiencing multiple strokes.
• Frontotemporal dementia is a rare form, usually occurring only in people < 60 years of age.
• Lewy body dementia is a form of chronic dementia that includes dementia, memory loss, movement, behavioral disorders, and neurological disorders.
• Mixed dementia is a condition that combines two or more types of dementia.

What are the symptoms of dementia?

Dementia affects a person's ability to live safely and independently, with symptoms worsening over time. Dementia has distinct stages and is graded according to the degree of decline.

Early stage dementia

Early dementia may not affect social activities or personal behavior, but family members should monitor and report any strange or unusual behavior from the patient.

• Remembering information becomes more difficult due to impaired short-term memory.
• Decreased ability to identify objects
• Decreased ability to perform familiar movements
• Decreased ability to understand or use language, forgetting song lyrics

Intermediate dementia

In the intermediate stage, dementia has a significant impact on the patient's lifestyle and social activities. People with intermediate dementia have more difficulty remembering new information (or even being unable to remember). Patients need help during this stage.

• Personality changes, the patient may be irritable, anxious, or may be more passive.
• Loss of sense of time, direction and place, often getting lost.
• Behavioral disorders, irritability, even hyperactivity.
• Psychotic syndrome, paranoia, and sleep disorders may occur.

Late-stage dementia

This is a serious stage. Patients often cannot do personal tasks by themselves, cannot even walk, and their memory is completely lost. Some life-sustaining activities may also be lost, such as not being able to swallow or control urination, leading to conditions such as malnutrition, infection, and pneumonia.

In the final stages, dementia patients may fall into a coma and die.

What causes memory loss?

There are many different causes of dementia, including:

• Multiple strokes,
• Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Parkinson's disease , Huntington's disease, and some types of multiple sclerosis,
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and certain central nervous system infections, such as meningitis,
• Brain injury due to falls or motor vehicle accidents,
• Alcohol and drug abuse,
• Depression,
• Family history of dementia,
• old age,

Certain medical conditions increase the risk of dementia, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In addition, excessive fluid buildup in the brain due to an infection or tumor can also trigger the development of dementia.

Risk factors and prevention of dementia

Risk factors for dementia can be divided into two groups. One group includes factors that are difficult to change, such as age and genetics combined with lifestyle. The other group are risk factors that can be changed, and research has shown that if these factors are controlled, the risk of dementia can be reduced by one-third.

Specifically as follows:

Overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes

• Risk: A diet high in saturated fat, high in salt and sugar, low in fiber, and lack of exercise can increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, leading to overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. These conditions increase the risk of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
• Prevention: Maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Increase exercise and actively participate in physical activities.

Beer and wine

• Risk: Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of stroke and nerve damage, which are leading causes of memory loss.
• Prevention: Limiting alcohol consumption is the most positive step toward a healthy lifestyle. You should seek further professional advice.

Cigarette smoke

• Risks: Smoking narrows your arteries, which can lead to high blood pressure. Smoking also increases your risk of heart disease, as well as some cancers.
• Prevention: Try to quit smoking or avoid environments with a lot of cigarette smoke.

Depression

• Risk: Depression is a mental illness and, if left untreated, increases the risk of developing dementia. However, depression can also be a symptom of dementia.
• Prevention: If you are concerned that you or a loved one or friend may be depressed, talk to a psychologist for advice on appropriate treatment.