Dementia causes a loss of function to specific areas of the brain. Memory, language, attention, and cognitive function are often affected. Its cause is an interruption of the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the brain caused by the blockage of small blood vessels that feed the brain. The Symptoms of Dementia are memory loss, moodiness, disorientation, and communicative difficulties.

Absentmindedness and forgetfulness are signs of the early stages of the condition. The dementia sufferer has problems remembering the route home, names of people or places, or the events that happened just that morning. In latter stages memory problems persist and become increasingly worse. The dementia patient cannot recognize their own family or gets them confused with another family member, daily tasks are more of a challenge, and the familiar places and objects are not familiar anymore.

Emotional control is difficult to maintain because the areas of the brain that govern them can also be damaged. Anxiety and fear rise due to the fact that the ill person is scared of what is happening to him, or her. Apathy, irritability, and other changes in the personality are almost a certainty as the disease continues on its course.

Disorientation manifests itself in the fact that the patient with dementia often gets lost in familiar surroundings and tends to wander. Time of day is also confused causing a person to want to get in the middle of the night to go out. Judgment is affected in that the sufferer sometimes does not dress appropriately or has increasing difficulty recognizing danger to himself, or herself, or others.

Communication difficulties causes the dementia sufferer to have problems in reading, talking and being understood. Words inappropriate to the conversation are at times slipped into the conversation in place of the correct ones without them realising it or their speech is slurred. Thus coherent speech becomes an increasing challenge, simple words are not remembered, and finding the words for things they want to say is almost impossible.

Other signs or Symptoms of Dementia include troubles in problem solving, dizziness, lack of concentration, and difficulty handling money. Unfortunately as the disease progresses the afflicted one will have increasing difficulty in caring for himself, or herself. Eventually the patient will need full time care and support.

Are you or someone you know suffering from Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease or Alzheimer’s Dementia? You can learn about dementia and memory and the Symptoms of Dementia here.