Memory Loss And Treatment Of Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease

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People that are diagnosed with Dementia have an advanced brain disorder that can make it progressively more difficult for them to think clearly, remember things, communicate to others, or even take care of themselves on their own. I have been personally affected by this disorder through members of my family and that is why this particular lecture caught my attention the most. I didn’t realize how serious this disorder can be and how much it not only impacts a person’s memory loss, but many other aspects of their life. The topics that interested me the most and ones I wanted to learn more about were normal aging memory loss versus symptoms of Dementia, how families cope with a loved one with Dementia, and the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_dementias_types.htm) As people get older, it’s not all that uncommon to experience some changes in memory such as memory loss. However, there is a big difference in having normal changes in memory and having symptoms of Dementia. Typical aging changes in memory include things like not being able to find the right word when having a conversation and complaining about memory loss but still being able to give detailed examples of things that are being forgotten. A few more signs of typical aging are stopping to remember directions but not getting lost in a familiar place, being able to remember recent events that are important and the conversation isn’t affected, and having the same level of interpersonal social skills that have always been present. On the other hand, there are more extreme cases of memory loss that are symptoms of Dementia. These include things like complaining about memory loss only when asked about it and not remem... ... middle of paper ... ...ing the Intro class because I learned a lot of extra information from it and I think other students would be interested to learn more about the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as well. After reading these articles, I feel a lot more confident with my understanding of Dementia and how it can affect a person’s life physically, mentally, and emotionally. I know more about normal aging memory loss versus symptoms of Dementia, how families cope with a loved one suffering from Dementia, and the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is a very serious brain disorder that drastically changes the life of the person diagnosed along with their family. I hope that in the near future there will be a cure for not only Dementia, but for Alzheimer’s disease too so that someday no one will have to suffer from these debilitating diseases.

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