9 Possible Signs Of Dementia

The term dementia encompasses the cluster of symptoms which are caused by disorders that negatively affects the brain. The word dementia has been derived from Latin where ‘de’ means without and ‘ment’ refers to mind.

People having dementia suffer from declining memory, reasoning, behavior, judgment and general cognitive functioning abilities. In the United States, nearly 5 million people suffer from some degree of dementia. One percent of people in the age bracket of sixty to sixty four years are afflicted with dementia. This number rises significantly to a whopping 50 percent as people advance in age.

Initially dementia was called senility and was thought to be a normal part of the natural ageing process. However recent studies have indicated that dementia happens due to multiple health complications which afflicts the elderly and in certain rare cases even younger people.

The problem of dementia is irreversible. Once dementia sets in it sets in motion certain distinct changes in the brain which cannot be reversed or stopped with even the latest medications.

There are many health problems which can hasten the process of dementia. People with health problems like Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Lyme disease, HIV/AIDS and Pick disease are at a higher risk of suffering from the ill effects of dementia.

Besides the above mentioned medical conditions, chronic drug use, vascular disorder like multiple brain strokes, depression particularly chronic depression, infections of the central nervous system and accumulation of fluid inside the brain can increase the chances of people suffering from the degenerative disease called dementia.

Dementia can be categorized or classified into two broad categories based on the particular region of the brain that is afflicted. When the cerebral cortex of the brain suffers from some type of disorder, it gives rise to cortical dementias. When the regions which lie beneath the cortex are affected by some disorder, it can lead to sub-cortical dementias. When both parts of the brain region, the cortex and the sub-cortex, are affected it leads to a type of dementia which is called multi infarct dementia.

It is very important to discern the early signs of dementia to differentiate it from other ordinary and more treatable memory problems. It is important to known that a person with dementia may or may not exhibit all of the signs which are discussed in this article. The following are some of the early warning signs dementia.

One of the earliest earning signs of dementia is memory loss or memory changes. These memory changes though minor, can disrupt the course of ones daily life. As each day passes, the degree of memory loss increases. Initially it may be something as simple as misplacing a cup of coffee or a bunch of keys.

As time progresses and the problem of dementia worsen, individuals may even forget where they live. The best way to differentiate memory loss associated with dementia as against ordinary forgetfulness is that people with dementia are never able to remember what they have lost, misplaced or forgotten.

People with dementia have increasing problems in planning and executing everyday tasks. They also have problems in solving simple problems which can leave them feeling depressed. Let us use an example here to differentiate between ordinary memory problems and dementia.? People with memory problems may serve dinner but forget to serve desert, while people with dementia may prepare dinner but will completely forget to serve it.

People with dementia have increasing difficulty with words which can leave their listeners or audience feeling befuddled. Here again we can differentiate between ordinary memory problems and dementia. While people with memory problems may have difficulty in getting the right words, individuals with dementia may have language difficulties to such an extent, that they may change the placement of words in a sentence or may sometimes even speak complete gibberish.

While forgetting the time or day of the week is normal, it becomes a source of great concern when a person forgets which year or century they are living in or even the location of their house. People with dementia are often found wandering the streets because they have totally forgotten where they live.

Another of the early warning signs of dementia is when people have difficulty in recognizing simple signs or other visual images. They become confused about simple road signs and what they stand for.

People with dementia also have difficulty in discerning distances like space between two people or the distance between objects. Individuals with dementia have difficulty in understanding quantities like volume, time order, size and time.

Another part of the thinking process which is grossly affected in people with dementia is abstract thinking. A high level thought process, abstract thinkers use patterns, clues or concrete ideas to solve more difficult problems.

Individuals with dementia suffer from extreme mood swings. They may be happy and alert one moment and become suddenly unhappy and depressed the very next moment, for no apparent reason. This change in moods is often noticed in people with dementia and is another of the early warning signs of this condition. Another reason for extreme mood swings can be attributed to the fact that people with dementia increasingly lose their independence as their condition worsens.

There is a distinct change in the personalities of people with dementia. Once bubbly and outgoing individuals, become increasing quiet as their condition worsens. The change in personality is due to their difficulty in communication, making judgments and their increasing forgetfulness.

There is an increasing withdrawal from all work related and social activities. People with dementia start to move away from activities which require them to make decisions because they are unable to make proper or clear decisions.

Get together with friends become difficult because they fear that they will be ridiculed. Slowly people with dementia go into a world of their own where they shut themselves out from all outside activities and relationships.

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Possible Reasons Of Hair Loss In Men And Ways To Deal With It

Going bald was something that most men over the age of 50 used to experience in older times. But in recent years an increase in number of young men have been observed, who are going bald.

Baldness can make you look older and can have a negative impact on your confidence and self-esteem as well. It is best to start taking precautions at an early stage by leading a healthy lifestyle and by indulging in healthy eating habits to prevent going bald. But today’s busy and fast paced lifestyle have taken over our lives and it has become very difficult to find time to take care of ourselves.

If you are one of those people who have already started losing out on your hair due to some reason or the other, then you should at least start taking care of yourself now. However, it is very important to determine the root cause for your hair loss before doing anything. The reason that triggers hair loss in men might vary from person to person. Once you find out the triggering factor behind your hair loss, you will be able to deal with it efficiently. Here is a list of possible reasons for hair loss in men and ways to deal with it.

It is very important to keep your scalp clear of all sorts of dirt and impurities to keep hair fall at bay. Factors like dandruff etc. can lead to hair fall and so make sure that you wash your hair regularly to prevent dandruff and hence hair loss.

It is a harsh reality that most men find very difficult to accept. It has been proved after performing a number of studies, surveys and researches, that hair loss in some men is as a result of their genes. Hair loss due to hereditary factors can occur in late-twenties for no reason at all. It might start with a receding hairline which ultimately becomes bald patches. There is nothing much you can do about hair loss due to genetic factors.

But if you have got a family history of balding, then you should start playing your part by eating healthy and leading a good lifestyle. This might or might not help your condition, but it surely is worth a try. However, with the advancement in science and technology you can opt for various forms of treatment and surgeries for hair loss. These are quite expensive but definitely worth every penny.

Men suffering from ailments like diabetes etc. also experience hair loss. The root cause of such diseases are leading an unhealthy lifestyle. It is very important to eat right and exercise daily to keep such ailments at bay. Once you get affected by such diseases there is nothing much you can do to get rid of it. So make sure that you keep such ailments at bay. Some other forms of infections of the scalp like seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis etc. can also trigger hair loss. So seek medical supervision for such conditions and get those cured to prevent further loss of hair.

Certain studies have revealed that hormones also play a very vital role in determining the fate of your hair. Increase in levels of the testosterone in the body might lead to thinning of hair. Hair starts to grow thin and short and gradually takes the form of a receding hairline which you will have to live with, for the rest of your life. You can seek treatment to balance the activity of the hormone but you cannot do much to grow back the hair you have lost.

One of the most common reason that men lose hair is stress and tensions. A number of factors like family problems, financial crisis, hectic work schedules etc. can become the reason for stress. But it is very important to manage stress in order to take control of your life. Most people fall prey to stress and tensions as a result of which they give up on life.

But it is very important to control your emotions and deal with stress to prevent health problems and hair loss as well. You can try practicing meditation and certain breathing exercises to eliminate stress from your life. One you manage to keep your stress levels down, you will successfully get rid of hair loss also.

Majority of men suffering from hair loss are known to be alcoholics, drug addicts and chain smokers. Such people keep wondering why they are losing hair without realizing that it is because of their own bad habits. Some people belonging to this category are least bothered about losing hair and even their life. Quiting such habits is the only solution to this problem. Apart from losing hair these habits can pose serious threats to your life as well. So ensure that you quit such habits at the earliest to lead a healthy life and to prevent hair loss.

Indulging in healthy eating habits seem like a task for most people. Most people prefer to pick a burger and a pack of fries with coke for meals. These kind of eating habits have become popular due to lack of time and busy lifestyle. But most people who indulge in such eating habits do not realize the adverse effects of having such unhealthy foods on their health.

Such foods are rich source of fats and possess absolutely no nutritional content. This leads to vitamin and mineral deficiencies which in turn leads to hair loss. The sole solution to this problem is to mend your eating habits. Indulge in a healthy and well balanced diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables. Limit your consumption of foods rich in sugars and fats for better health and hair.

Men tend to lose out on hair after undergoing chemotherapy etc. which are treatments for cancers. Men also tend to lose out on hair after taking certain medications. For instance, medications for arthritis leads to hair loss. So if you are undergoing some form of treatment or are taking any medications which are triggering hair fall in your case, then seek medical assistance. Your doctor might prescribe alternate forms of treatments for your condition.

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