Dementia is a broad term that describes a loss of thinking ability, memory, attention, logical reasoning, and other mental abilities. These changes are severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning.
Many things can cause dementia. It happens when the parts of your brain used for learning, memory, decision-making, and language are damaged or diseased.
You might also hear it called a major neurocognitive disorder. Dementia isn’t a disease. Instead, it’s a group of symptoms caused by other conditions.
What Are The Symptoms?
People with dementia have problems with thinking and remembering that affect their ability to manage their daily life.
These are some signs to watch for:
* Short-term memory problems, like forgetting where you put something or asking the same question over and over
* Communication problems like not being able to come up with a word
* Getting lost
* Having trouble with complex but familiar tasks, like fixing a meal or paying bills
* Personality changes, like depression, agitation, paranoia, and mood swings.
