Is dementia reversible?
Say at this time it is not reversible. Maybe in time research scientists will find a way to do this or better yet prevent it in the first place. It is a terrible disease, worse for many than cancer.
Is dementia preventable?
Dementia is not 100% preventable but the risk of developing dementia can be greatly reduced. The precursor vascular damage with potential to eventually cause development of dementia starts building up early in life. Therefore, to maximize its effectiveness, action to maintain the slowest possible rate for build up of that damage should be initiated at the earliest possible age before much damage has already developed.Factors that promote build up of the precursor vascular damage are stress of a mental, physical and/or chemical nature, an unhealthy lifestyle and diet and a possible metabolic magnesium deficiency. Some examples of damaging chemical stress are tobacco smoking, vaping, consumption of alcohol and coffee and exposure to pesticides and chemical fumes.The level of plasma total homocysteine in the blood is a biomarker that correlates with the rate that vascular damage is building up to increase the risk of developing dementia during a person’s lifetime. Doing whatever is needed to reduce the level of that biomarker and maintain it at a level not exceeding 10 micromoles per liter will minimize the risk of developing dementia in future. Achieving that objective may require beneficial changes in lifestyle and diet. A daily supplement of magnesium-L-threonate and vitamins D, B6, B12 and folic acid may also help.
How do dementia and senility differ?
Dementia and senility differ in distinct ways.When an adult child begins to notice changes in a senior loved one, they might wonder if it is normal aging or something else. It’s often hard for families to understand the differences when it comes to aging vs. dementia vs. senility. But there are distinct differences.The Differences Between Dementia and SenilityPeople often mistakenly think that dementia is just another name for Alzheimer’s disease, and that dementia and senility are one and the same.But dementia is actually a variety of medical conditions and illnesses that impair a person’s cognitive health. Alzheimer’s disease is one type of dementia.Typical dementia symptoms can include memory loss, decline in abstract thought process, loss of verbal communication skills, and a change in personality.There are a number of different types of dementia. A few of the more common ones include:Alzheimer’s disease – accounting for as much as 70 – 80% of all dementiasParkinson’s dementia – occurring in the later stages of Parkinson’s diseaseVascular dementia – caused by a stroke or other interruption of blood flow to the brainSenility, by contrast, is an older term used to describe a decline in an older adult’s physical and cognitive health. Like dementia, senility can cause changes in mental health, such as memory loss or a decline in judgment.But senility symptoms can also include physical changes such as:Stiff jointsChange in postureDecreased strengthWrinkling of the skinLoss of vision or hearingBrittle bones or bone lossIt’s important to note that the term “senile” has taken on a negative connotation in recent years. A lack of understanding and sensitivity to the challenges of aging have led to an improper use of the word making it sound like a slur on someone’s mental capacity instead of a true health condition.(Elmcroft Senior Living 1–12–2017)Many of my friends are showing signs of senility. They move slower than they used to. I walk with a lovely man who walks with a posture that makes him stare at the ground when he walks. I PRACTICE standing straight.People who are senile may be hard of hearing, but they don’t usually forget the name of a car, cat, or refrigerator. Senile friends of mine are getting older. They have no disease.Brain games won’t help my slide into oblivion but I sure plan to slow down my destination.
What is Dementia.?
Dementia (from Latin de- "apart, away" + mens (genitive mentis) "mind") is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Although dementia is far more common in the geriatric population, it may occur in any stage of adulthood. This age cutoff is defining, as similar sets of symptoms due to organic brain dysfunction are given different names in populations younger than adulthood (see, for instance, developmental disorders). Dementia is a non-specific illness syndrome (set of symptoms) in which affected areas of cognition may be memory, attention, language, and problem solving. Higher mental functions are affected first in the process. Especially in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time (not knowing what day of the week, day of the month, month, or even what year it is), in place (not knowing where they are), and in person (not knowing who they are). Symptoms of dementia can be classified as either reversible or irreversible, depending upon the etiology of the disease. Less than 10 percent of cases of dementia are due to causes which may presently be reversed with treatment. Causes include many different specific disease processes, in the same way that symptoms of organ dysfunction such as shortness of breath, jaundice, or pain are attributable to many etiologies. Without careful assessment of history, the short-term syndrome of delirium can easily be confused with dementia, because they have many symptoms in common. Some mental illnesses, including depression and psychosis, may also produce symptoms which must be differentiated from both delirium and dementia.
What is dementia ?........?
I've forgotten.
Apparently, it seems impossible to have dementia without being senile. Whereas, it is possible to be senile without being demented?
Actually both are possible.You can have dementia without being senileAn example is a 55 yo person with newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s (early onset) is developing dementia, as Alzheimer’s is a part of umbrella of dementia diseases - impairing person’s cognitive health. On the other hand this person is not necessarily showing the normal signs of senility (age-related) - physical decline of joints, skin, vision, bone, posture, stability etc.But the other scenario is also possible.You can be senile without being dementedAn example is a 85 yo person showing many signs of senility, as physical decline of joints, skin, vision, bone, posture, stability etc. - but still having clear mind, with no or almost no signs of cognitive decline.Both senility and dementia are multifactorialBoth dementia and senility are the umbrella terms for different syndromes - not diseases. Diseases are mostly single factor conditions. Syndromes are multifactorial. Syndromes are strongly correlated to a vast array of metabolic and behavioral risk factors that contribute to the four key metabolic changes:raised blood pressureoverweight/obesityhyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose)hyperlipidemia (elevated blood lipids/ fats)These four changes increase the risk of a major disfunction - metabolic syndrome (MetS).Magic pill for a syndrome?It is possible to treat diseases with pills or targeted therapies. It is absolutely not possible with syndromes, as they occur downstream, or in the crossroads (so to say) of different dysfunctions of the human and cellular environment as:Suboptimal nutrition → impaired cellular micro- macronutrient uptakeSuboptimal breathing → impaired cellular respiration/ oxygenationSuboptimal physical resilience/ movement → impaired tissue cellular structure/ ECM (extracellular matrix)Suboptimal mental resilience → impaired cellular signalingSuboptimal movement → impaired cellular detox/ ECF flow (extracellular fluid)There are many studies showing that both senility and dementia are reversible with lifestyle change. This change has to be structured and is best to be supervised in order to succeed.Read more about this on www.sakharoff.com.