What Is Dementia?

It is a common misconception that dementia is merely the loss of your memory, however it is much more than this. Dementia is a term used to describe a cluster of symptoms which do indeed include memory loss but may also include difficulties with language, thinking or problem solving and sometimes includes behaviour or mood changes.

There are many sources of dementia such as a stroke or Alzheimer’s disease but the underlying cause is damage to the brain. Often the symptoms may not be too noticeable to begin with but dementia is a progressive disease which eventually will start to affect daily life. It is important to remember though that the symptoms will vary from person to person and will depend not only on the area of the brain that has been affected but also the cause of the dementia.

There are over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, the majority of whom are over 65. However, dementia also affects younger people with around 42,000 sufferers under the age of 65.

If you are worried about a loved one showing signs of memory loss, it is vital that they have a thorough assessment to understand better what is causing the problem. Sometimes, it can be a result of a completely treatable condition rather than dementia.

Once you have received a dementia diagnosis, don’t forget that there are many good sources of information available to help guide you and there is specialist support available to help you cope with the challenges ahead.