Early Dementia in the Elderly

Early dementia is not a disease, but a group of symptoms. These symptoms are capable of greatly affecting a person's social and intellectual abilities. When early dementia occurs, the changes may be subtle at first. A person may just think that their loved one is simply aging when it is really the symptoms of early dementia setting in. Early dementia affects the brain and causes the brain to change. All people will experience early dementia differently.

Symptoms

• When early dementia occurs, a certain set of symptoms will begin to present themselves. The symptom that occurs first in most people is short-term memory loss. This symptom may cause people to forget where they set their keys or shoes. It may also cause people to simply forget what they are doing. Many people describe this symptom as forgetfulness. A decreased concentration level is typically the next symptom. This can cause people to constantly flip through TV stations or not be able to sit for more than a few minutes at a time. Other symptoms of early dementia may include mood swings, depression, irritation, suspiciousness, paranoia, trouble performing everyday tasks, slurred speech, trouble talking and loss of bowel or bladder control.

Risk Factors

• Some risk factors of early dementia in the elderly cannot be controlled, but others can. Those that cannot be controlled include a family history of the disease and age. Those that can be controlled include alcohol abuse, hardening of the arteries due to poor diet and sedentary lifestyle, blood pressure that is too high or too low, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, high levels of estrogen in the body, difficulty metabolizing B vitamins and smoking.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosing early dementia relies heavily on assessing the patient's symptoms. A complete physical exam, patient history and patient's family history are also important. To get a definitive diagnosis, physicians will also perform tests, such as psychiatric evaluations, blood tests and MRI's, to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. Interviewing close family and friends is also an important step because they can tell the doctor about the symptoms and behaviors of the patient.

Treatment

• Treating early dementia in the elderly aims to reduce disability and improve the patient's quality of life. Treatment typically combines medications with cognitive, behavioral and physical therapy. The medications used are said to help slow down brain and brain chemical deterioration. Cognitive therapy helps patients to retain speech and other like functions. Behavioral therapy helps patients control mood swings and other psychological issues. Physical therapy helps patients maintain mobility and can also help them to maintain the ability to perform everyday tasks.

Complications

• Elderly people who have early dementia face a host of complications. Many of these complications can be avoided if they are regularly cared for by a family or friend. These complications include decreased hygiene, emotional health deterioration, trouble taking necessary medications, malnutrition, delirium, trouble communicating, problems sleeping and challenges with personal safety.