Memory Disorders – Nirvana Psychiatric Clinic

What is Memory Disorder?

Dementia Memory Disorder is not a Single Disease. It's an overall term that is used to describe a Group of Symptoms Affecting Memory, Thinking and Social Abilities that interfere with your daily life.

Dementia is a general term for Loss of Memory, Language, Problem-Solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of Dementia. Usually occurs at old age and the risk of Dementia increases with increasing age.

understanding-alzheimers-disease-alzheimers-disease-scaled

How is Dementia different from Normal Forgetfulness due to Aging?

It’s normal to forget things once in a while as we age, but serious memory problems make it hard to do everyday things like driving, using the phone, and finding your way home. Apart from memory Dementia involves impairment in other cognitive functions like, language, praxis, new learning ability.

Signs that it might be time to talk to a doctor include:

Asking the same questions over and over again
Getting lost in places a person knows well
Forgetting that they have eaten food or taken medicines and asking for food again
Having trouble following recipes or directions
Difficulty communicating or finding words
Difficulty with planning and organising
Not able to carry out basic tasks which they were well versed with like dressing, writing, bathing
Repeatedly forgetting family members or relative’s names, or calling them with different names.

Becoming more confused about time, people, and places, even inside the house.
Forgetting important recent events or festivals.
Not taking care of oneself —eating poorly, not bathing, or behaving unsafely
Sometimes dementia may also be associated with psychological changes like remaining dull and sad or extremely irritable, disturbed sleep, crying spells, Depression, anxiety, remaining withdrawn, Inappropriate behaviour, Personality changes, being fearful (Paranoia), agitation, hallucinations.

Causes Dementia

Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that’s damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms. And depending on what causes this neuronal damage dementia can be of different types and can be either reversible or irreversible.

Irreversible Causes/Types of Dementia are:

Alzheimer’s Disease
Vascular Dementia
Lewy Body Dementia
Frontotemporal Dementia
Huntington’s Disease
Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI)
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Parkinson’s Disease

Reversible Causes/Types of Dementia are:

Infections and Immune Disorders
Metabolic Problems and Endocrine Abnormalities
Nutritional Deficiencies
Medication Side Effects
Brain Tumours
Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus

Reduce the Risk of Dementia

Stop Smoking & Alcohol Intake
Manage Cardiovascular Risk Factors like taking proper treatment for Hypertension and Diabetes and Maintaining Normal Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose
Having a Healthy Diet & reduce Junk Food and complete your daily requirement of Vitamins and Micronutrients
Be Physically Active
Participating in Community Activities, such as: having a Active Social Life and Interactions reduces the risk of cognitive decline
Maintain Hobbies/Activities which are Stimulating to Brain