Dementia is a term for impairment of one’s ability to remember, think, or make decisions. This impairment interferes with one’s ability to do daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, but not the only, type of dementia.

Who gets Dementia?

The majority of adults live their entire lives without developing dementia. It is not considered to be a normal part of aging. Some people are at high risk depending on many factors, such as, family history, age, race, heart disease and history of head injuries.

What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?

These include memory loss, loss of attention, issues with communication or trouble with problem solving. Typical issues that arise are getting lost in a familiar neighborhood, forgetting people’s names, not being able to live independently and forgetting old memories.

How is the diagnosis made?

Your family doctor might make the diagnosis after some simple memory tests. Or, you may need to see a specialist, such as a neurologist, to help confirm a diagnosis. Imaging tests may be helpful but are not considered diagnostic in most cases.

How is dementia treated?

Unfortunately, most types of dementia have no cure. Doctors use medications to try and help protect the brain or manage symptoms, but medications to help reverse dementia currently do not exist. Research to develop more treatment options is ongoing.

How can you prevent dementia?