These are the main differences between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Dementia can occur in as many as 1 in 5 people. There are currently around 50 million living with this brain disorder worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Figures show that about 70 percent of all people with dementia suffer from Alzheimer’s. What are the main differences between these diseases? We list them for you.
Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s
The main difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s is that dementia is an umbrella term for symptoms such as impaired memory and thinking that interfere with everyday life. Alzheimer’s disease is a specific form of dementia. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. The reason we often hear about Alzheimer’s disease is not only because it is the most common form of dementia, but also because the science behind Alzheimer’s is the most advanced compared to other types of dementia.
Common symptoms
Losing your keys and forgetting where you parked your car are basic memory problems. How do you know when it crosses the line to dementia or Alzheimer’s? According to the Alzheimer’s Association, two of the following must to be diagnosed and be must be ‘significantly compromised’:
Poor memory
Communication and language difficulty
Difficulty focusing and paying attention
Flawed reasoning and judgment
Impaired visual perception
Curious about even more symptoms and possible treatments?
Alzheimer’s symptoms
When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, you forget a lot of new information faster. It’s not those little memory hick-ups, where you can’t remember your second cousin’s name, and suddenly remember it later – that’s normal. Research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2016 indicates that problems with using a road map may be one of the first warning signs of Alzheimer’s, and is one of the warning signs to watch out for.
Possible treatments for dementia and Alzheimer’s
There are virtually no FDA-approved therapies for dementia. There is only one approved drug for Parkinson’s dementia. There are, however, four medications that specifically target Alzheimer’s. And while these drugs don’t block disease progression or cure the disease, they can help manage symptoms. Patients indicate that these drugs can help for six to nine months, but many continue to use them for a long time because they help with behavioral symptoms such as agitation and aggression. When patients stop taking the drugs, the psychological symptoms can get worse. As for other types of dementia, lifestyle changes may be the best option. Treatment for vascular dementia depends on doing things that are healthy for your blood vessels and heart: such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and controlling diabetes.
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