SkiptomaincontentHomeAboutdementiaFivethingsyoushouldknowaboutdementiaFivethingsyoushouldknowaboutdementiaFindoutthefivethingsthatyoushouldbeawareofwhenitcomestodementia.It'snotanaturalpartofageingandit'snotjustaboutmemoryloss.1.DementiaisnotanaturalpartofageingWeallforgetanameorafacesometimes.Especiallyaswegetolder.Butdementiaissomethingdifferent.Memoryproblemsareoneofanumberofsymptomsthatpeoplewithdementiamayexperience.Othersincludedifficultieswithplanning,thinkingthingsthrough,strugglingtokeepupwithaconversation,andsometimeschangesinmoodorbehaviour.Dementiaisnotanaturalpartofageinganditdoesn’tjustaffectolderpeople.Over40,000peopleunder65intheUKhavedementia.Thisiscalledearly-onsetoryoung-onsetdementia.HelpandsupportIfyou’reworriedaboutyourmemory,oraboutsomeoneelse,thefirstthingtodoismakeanappointmentwiththeGP.Therearelotsofreasonssomeonemayshowsymptomssimilartodementia.Theseincludedepression,chestandurinarytractinfections,vitaminandthyroiddeficienciesandbraintumours.YourGPcancheckformostoftheseandtakethenextstepstofindoutwhat’scausingyourmemoryproblems.Weknowitcanfeeldaunting,butthequickeryoutalktoyourGP,thesooneryoucangettheinformation,adviceandsupportyouneed.FindoutmoreaboutgettingadiagnosisfromyourGP. 2. DementiaiscausedbydiseasesofthebrainDiseasessuchasAlzheimer’sdiseasecausenervecellstodie,damagingthestructureandchemistryofthebrain.AdviceWhatisthedifferencebetweendementiaandAlzheimer’sdisease?AdviceDementiaiscausedbydifferentdiseasesthataffectthebrain.Alzheimer’sdiseaseisthemostcommonofthesediseases.SomeothercommontypesofdementiaincludevasculardementiaanddementiawithLewybodies.17July2018114Therearelotsofothercausesandnotwotypesofdementiaarethesame.Indifferenttypesofdementiathereisdamagetodifferentpartsofthebrain.Othertypesofdementiainclude:vasculardementia(causedbyproblemswithbloodsupplytothebrain)mixeddementia(usuallyAlzheimer’sdiseaseandvasculardementia)dementiawithLewybodiesfrontotemporaldementia(includingPick’sdisease)Alzheimer’sdiseasetendstostartslowlya