With age, the lifespan decreases, and grey matter that is present in our brain also decreases. Grey matter helps us to comprehend stories, remember faces and tasks we perform in everyday life. But on the contrary, the decline in memory and focus to remember things is already because of old age. As we get older, there are signs of premature dementia.
“It is a general term to refer to neurodegenerative diseases that cause an impairment in cognitive function that interferes with day-to-day living, as it affects memory, decision-making, thinking and social abilities,” says Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy, a primary care physician at Doctor Spring who is also board-certified in internal medicine.
According to the reports published by the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia damages the brain cells. The partial damage leads to interference within the brain cells. Cells become incapable of communicating with each other. These cells affect the way we usually think or feel things around us. There are different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, and more.
There is a gradual decrease in cognitive functioning as we age, and it is not a common disease in adults. “Other than memory loss, the other symptoms of disease include personality changes, confusion, moodiness,or agitation, and problems with cognitive and physical function,” doctors explain.
Certain things lead to the risk of dementia. Family history, genetics, and injury can increase the risk of dementia. Our lifestyle habits can also make things worst.
- Lack of sleep can increase the risk of insomnia or sleep apnea, and this factor could lead to an increase in dementia.
- Your diet could be a leading cause of increasing the risk of dementia.
- Loneliness and isolation. People who don’t interact and prefer to live in isolation can make you withdrawn and sad than usual.
Dementia damages brain activities that lead to a decline in mental ability. And Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.