Dementia refers to a group of diseases characterized by the loss of mental functions – thinking, memory and reasoning – severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. Dementia can be caused by many things, including nutritional deficiencies, stroke, trauma, viruses, toxins, and nerve degeneration diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Dementia becomes increasingly common with age. It is rare before age 60, but nearly one-third of people over age 85 will have some degree of it.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, causing 60 percent of dementia cases.
Here are seven warning signs of Alzheimer’s:
1. Asking the same question repeatedly
2. Telling the same story repeatedly
3. Forgetting how to cook, water the plants or perform other routine tasks that were previously done with ease and regularity
4. Inability to pay bills or balance one’s checkbook.
5. Getting lost in familiar surroundings or misplacing objects
6. Neglecting to bathe or repeatedly wearing the same clothes
7. Relying on someone else, such as a spouse, to make decisions or answer questions previously handled by one’s self
In the earliest stages, these signs may be hard to detect. Patients are often aware of their deficiencies but create excuses for their mistakes or forgetfulness.
They may also get restless and wander, especially in the late afternoon or after dark. This is called sundowning.
Some people may become aggressive and believe others are lying to them. In their latest stages, patients no longer recognize loved ones, and they forget how to perform even the most basic tasks, like eating, bathing and using the toilet.
If you suspect a loved one of having dementia, your doctor can perform tests of memory and mental function, in addition to blood tests and a CT scan or MRI of the brain.
Often, a specialist will be consulted.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. However, there are some medications that can help slow the progression and offer some improvement.
By understanding dementia and how it progresses, family members can help the patient cope with the disease.
The family support system is often the most crucial part of managing Alzheimer’s, and family members will increasingly be required to make decisions for the patients.
The patient may need to designate durable power of attorney to another family member. This will allow the designee to make medical and other decisions for the patient when he or she is no longer able to do so.
Whether because of Alzheimer’s or another reason, in dementia lies a lesson about the cycle of life emphasized in the Holy Qur’an: "And We settle in the wombs whom We will for a specified term, then We bring you out as a child, and then you reach your maturity. And among you is he who is taken in (early) death, and among you is he who is returned to the most decrepit [old] age so that he knows nothing after once having knowledge" (Qur’an 22:5).
Mansur Khan is an internal medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente. He cofounded the UMMA Clinic and is chairman of its board of directors.
