【專家評論／Dr. Chris Cheng】

What is dementia? (什麼是癡呆症)
When we think of dementia we think of Alzheimer’s disease, a common type of dementia where one has mainly memory impairment. Although memory impairment is a common presentation of dementia, dementia can present in various other forms, including worsening use of language, new deficits in planning and organization, and loss of coordination of one’s bodily movements.

What are the red flags to suggest dementia?
-Does it interfere with your daily life?
-Are you consistently having trouble to think things through?
-Are you often at a loss of words?
-Are you losing your sense of place or time?

What symptoms does dementia cause?
The symptoms of dementia often start off very mild and get worse slowly. Symptoms can include:
-Forgetting all sorts of things
-Confusion
-Trouble with language (for example, not being able to find the right words for things)
-Trouble concentrating and reasoning
-Problems with tasks such as paying bills or balancing a checkbook
-Getting lost in familiar places

What are the different kinds of dementia?
The most common kinds include:
●Alzheimer disease – Alzheimer disease is the most common cause of dementia. It is a disorder in which brain cells slowly die over time. The most dominant feature is memory loss.
●Vascular dementia – Vascular dementia happens when parts of the brain do not get enough blood. This can happen when blood vessels in the brain get clogged with blood clots or fatty deposits. This form of dementia is most common among people who have had strokes or who are at risk for strokes.
●Parkinson disease dementia – This form of dementia occurs in patients with longstanding history of parkinson’s disease.
●Other causes of dementia – There are many other causes of dementia, including malignancies of the brain, history of head trauma, vitamin deficiencies, and many more.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — You should see a doctor or nurse if you think you or someone close to you is showing signs of dementia. Sometimes memory loss and confusion are caused by medical problems other than dementia that can be treated, including diabetes, depression, and infections.

How is dementia treated? — That depends on what kind of dementia you have. If you have Alzheimer’s, there are medicines that can help slow the progression of the disease. If you have vascular dementia, your doctor will focus on keeping your blood pressure, sugars, and cholesterol as close to normal as possible.

Sadly, there really aren’t good treatments for most types of dementia. But doctors can sometimes treat troubling symptoms that come with dementia, such as depression or anxiety.

Can dementia be prevented? — There are no proven ways to prevent dementia. But here are some things that have been shown by various studies to help keep the brain healthy:
●Physical activity
●Social interaction
●Keeping the brain busy, for example by reading or doing puzzles