Dementia or Alzheimer's - Differentiating The Disorders

Society's perception of dementia, however, is a negative one, and people tend to shy away from using the word. The disorder's word association and common image is one of an old person's illness, one that holds images of insanity and poverty or losing one's mind. Awareness of the true meaning of dementia is underway, but there is a long, long way to go before people can feel at ease around the term and accept it as a normal occurrence in a human's lifespan.

Are The Two Illnesses The Same Thing?

One thing is quite certain, though, dementia and Alzheimer's are not interchangeable words and they mean very different things for the person having a diagnosis of one or the other. Family members, when faced with a loved one's diagnosis of dementia, often purposely mislead friends and acquaintances by claiming Alzheimer's when the truth is something quite different.

Alzheimer's disease and dementia are both caused by damage to the brain. Strokes, infection, lack of oxygen, and tumors are linked to the symptoms of dementia and behavior or cognitive ability changes vary depending on what area or parts of the brain suffer damage. Alzheimer's, on the other hand, has a distinct effect on certain parts of the brain, namely the chemical transmitters we use for making judgment calls and memory retrieval.

Differentiating the Disorders

Is it possible to recognize the differences between Alzheimer's disease and dementia? Yes, it is, though the task can be difficult for those who aren't sure what to look for. At face value, dementia and Alzheimer's disease both cause people to have trouble with memory or recognizing familiar objects, a drop in planning and organization skills and social functioning impairment. But as two distinct illnesses, there are some differences.

Alzheimer's disease sufferers display classical symptoms that are easily recognizable. Many people who have had to live with an Alzheimer's sufferer are able to point out the symptoms in others very easily, just by noticing a telltale quirk or action of that person. One of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is confusion, which causes the sufferer to use behaviors such as confabulation (making stories up when caught), reactions such as running away and trying to escape from their home or hospital, or not knowing familiar people such as loved ones or children. As the disease progresses, Alzheimer's patients 'forget' more and more, such as how to dress or wash, or how to eat; and eventually the sufferers are confined to their beds.

Dementia suffers 'forget' as well, but in a more general fashion, such as forgetting where they left their keys, or putting them in the sugar bowl instead of on the hook. They may make judgment errors, such as choosing a bathing suit to wear outside when a sweater is more appropriate. They may forget names, but recognition for people in general is better. The behaviors and reactions of a dementia sufferer may make other people wonder, but there is no typical pattern of behavior to dementia in general, as it doesn't have one specific cause - different brain damage causes different behaviors.

Both illnesses can be alleviated somewhat by medical treatment, though neither disorder can be cured or turned around completely. The decline of Alzheimer's disease is a progressive one that ultimately leads to the sufferer becoming bed ridden and eventual death. Dementia, on the other hand, can be a stable disorder that, while sometimes difficult to learn to deal and cope with, does not necessarily mean the patient's condition will worsen.

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