Causes - ReaDementia

Is Dementia Hereditary? Let’s Find Out Now

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes January 31, 2021February 23, 2024dementia, inherited, is dementia hereditary, vascular dementia

There is one question that is of concern for family members of an individual who has dementia: is dementia hereditary?

There are two answers to this query and, sadly, it is both a yes and a no.

The majority of dementias are not passed down by family.

There are, however, some rare cases where there may be a strong genetic link that could see children and grandchildren inherit the condition.

Nonetheless, this is only a small proportion of the overall dementia cases.

It is vital to note that genes are basic heredity units that pass on characteristics like height, hair color, or the tendency to develop a certain disease.

We find them in chromosomes and can contain mutations or changes which can be beneficial or harmful.

Does dementia run in families?

To date, researchers still do not have adequate details about the human genes that are associated with dementia.

While several genes may lead to different forms of dementia, mostly the illness does not develop because of changes to a specific gene.

Dementia genetics are quite complex, with several other factors weighing in.

This aside, let’s look at some of the reasons why most people do not inherit dementia.

Risk Factors

One of the top risk factors for dementia is age.

The disease is common in seniors who are above the age of seventy, although some people experience it when they are younger.

You may be relieved to learn that having grandparents or parents with dementia at this age (70+) does not necessarily mean that you will also end up with the condition when you are older.

Your risk of getting the disease remains the same as the rest of the population.

On the flip side, studies show that if your loved one has dementia when they are younger, say less than sixty years, there is a higher chance that this type of illness passes on.

This goes to show that while genetics may be a risk factor, it is certainly not the only one.

Other risk factors that contribute to the development of dementia include:

Down Syndrome
Nutritional and vitamin deficiencies
Sleep apnea and other medical conditions
Smoking
Head injuries
Alcohol abuse and many more

Now check out some of the factors that could increase your chances of ending up with dementia because it is in your family line.

These support the yes part of the answer when you ask if dementia is hereditary.

Underlying Health Issues

There are some scenarios where dementia will not be inherited. But, there are some health issues that, at times, crop up because of this condition.

These may include conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, or stroke. Such illnesses can pass from one generation to the next.

Note that such diseases are also considered risk factors for illnesses such as dementia.

This simply means that when a person has one or more of the aforementioned diseases, they may also end up with dementia when they get older.

Specific Genes

When looking at the cases of inherited dementia, you may notice that only 1% of the cases are passed on from parents.

Another aspect that may increase your chances of getting the disease simply because your parents also have dementia is the types of genes that your parents give you.

It is not the dementia gene but others that increase the risk of you getting the illness.

These types of genes that can give you dementia are typically the same ones that increase the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

It is one of the reasons it is essential to stay physically active and eat well. This can reduce the risk of developing certain types of dementia, such as vascular dementia.

Scientifically, two types of genes can affect whether a person ends up inheriting a disorder or disease. These are:

1. Risk Genes – These are the genes that you carry putting you at risk of developing a particular disease. You should also know that with the gene in your body, it does not mean you will end up with the illness.

2. Deterministic Genes – These are the genes that are responsible for causing the onset of disorders and diseases. They are quite rare and have been linked directly to the development of dementia in adults.

Genes are a broad topic for anyone who is interested in finding out the answers to is dementia hereditary.

Below is a summary of some of the genes that researchers claim are associated with the development of dementia in different stages:

1. Mutations in APP (A4 protein precursor), PSEN2 (presenilin2), and PSEN1 (presenilin1)

These genes are responsible for producing abnormal protein amounts that can trigger damage in the brain, which links to the onset of early dementia.

2. Variations in the ApoE4 gene

Also known as the apolipoprotein E, this offers instructions for protein production as well as aids in the transportation of cholesterol through the bloodstream.

About a quarter of the population that has one copy of the gene of a variation of ApoE has been known to have a higher risk of getting dementia.

Even though they do not directly cause the disease, they can contribute to some of the brain changes that result in cognitive decline.

Many people with ApoE4 also experience faster loss of nerve cell functioning.

This happens at the frontal lobe, which is crucial when it comes to maintaining mental functioning.

Studies also conclude that individuals who have the ApoE4 gene usually grow older at a faster rate. This acceleration can enhance the chances of dementia becoming worse over time.

There is also evidence that people who have two copies of ApoE4 have a much higher risk of developing dementia than the people who only have a single copy.

3.CDC2 gene

Cell division of the cycle 2 gene (CDC2) associates with the production of more tau protein This controls the deposit, gathering, and degradation of several proteins that relate to different types of dementia.

4. SORL1 gene

There is a high chance that the sortilin related receptor may play a role in the uncharacteristic production of beta-amyloid plaque in the brains of individuals who experience the late onset of dementia.

Rare Types of Dementia

There are some unusual types of dementia that parents can pass down to their young ones.

It mainly happens when a person develops the illness at an early age, like in their 50s or 60s.

In the majority of these cases, there is a high chance that a faulty gene was passed down to the children from their parents. This is also the case when an individual ends up developing dementia in their 30s or 40s.

Generally, while a high percentage of people will not pass dementia to their kids, they can pass faulty genes that will be the cause of the disease in younger individuals.

Examples of the rare dementia types that parents pass on to their offspring include Familial Prion Disease and Huntington’s disease.

Such disorders present a 50/50 chance of being inherited because they are brought about by a faulty “dormant” gene.

What this means is that if you get one faulty gene from one parent and another healthy one from the other parent, the faulty one is the one that the body will use.

This is because the body sees it as the “dominant” gene.

If your doctor suspects that family history has anything to do with your condition, he or she may recommend genetic testing.

Relatives at this point may also have to go through genetic testing.

When the results are out, genetic counseling is normally offered to all the persons who carry the illness-related changes.

Inheritance Pattern

If you are asking if dementia is hereditary, it helps to look into the inheritance pattern of the disease.

When people develop the illness at an early stage, that is before celebrating their 70th birthday, the link to an autosomal dominant pattern is not unusual.

This simply means that a single copy of an altered gene is enough to cause dementia. In most cases, the affected individual gets this gene from one of their parents.

It is still not clear what the inheritance pattern for late-onset dementia is. Persons who inherit just one copy of the ApoE4 allele are usually at higher risk of developing the condition.

The risk is even greater for the individuals who have two copies of the same.

Astonishingly, it is not everyone who has this gene that will end up with dementia. Similarly, not everyone who has dementia has the E4 allele.

Closing Remarks

As seen above, genetics do not play a major role when it comes to the development of dementia.

That said, there are specific forms that you can inherit from your parents.

However, these mostly have to do with developing the disease when you are younger. It is evident that there is no one answer to the query; is dementia hereditary?

Even though it may not be possible to control genes, there are other factors you can control to help reduce the risk.

It includes things such as eating a balanced diet, staying active, not smoking and managing other health conditions, like diabetes.

Air Pollution and Dementia Risk

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes January 31, 2021October 17, 2021air pollution and dementia, dementia

There is strong evidence developing in regards to exposure to air pollution and dementia risk.

Some researchers claim that small air pollution particles can enter the brain and contribute to the development of dementia.

Before looking at the possible link between dementia and air pollutants, first, check out what air pollution is.

Does Pollution Cause Dementia?

Air Pollution

Air pollution is made up of various components that may include:

Chemical compounds
Gases
Tiny particles/ particulate matter
Metals

Exposure to high levels of long-term exposure to air pollutants has been known to be harmful leading to the development of many health conditions that majorly affect the heart and the lungs.

Does Air Pollution Harm the Brain? (Different Studies)

One of the factors that led scientists to look into the relationship between air pollution and dementia is the existence of the magnetite particle in the brain.

These are particles that fill the air after the burning of fuel. The human brain also produces magnetite naturally.

A study conducted in 2016 confirmed that magnetite can make its way to the brain through air pollution. This was after studying the brain tissues of people from Manchester and Mexico City.

Researchers used a unique electron microscope to look at the surface properties of magnetite. They did this to prove that the brain did not produce the particles naturally.

Instead, they were produced by high temperatures.

The conclusion from the study was that it is possible that fine particulate material can enter the brain through the thin lining of the nose and the bloodstream as well.

Researchers observed that the particles were present inside amyloid plaques, which are the protein deposits common in the brain cells of a person with Alzheimer’s, one of the most common forms of dementia.

Magnetite can cause dementia

This is what led to the assumption that magnetite could be somehow involved in the development of dementia.

The study was, however not conclusive because it did not prove that magnetite was responsible for killing brain cells or the formation of the protein deposits.

There is a possibility that the particles might find their way into the brain and because of the organ’s waste disposal process find their way in the amyloid plaques.

In line with this Pektus, an assistant professor of clinical neurology working at Keck School of Medicine, led another study to try and add evidence linking air pollution and dementia risk.

The study focused on 998 female participants between the ages of 73-87.

The participants underwent two brain scans that were 5 years apart. Researchers studied the brains of the participants to give them a cognitive decline score.

They then combined the results with data on where the ladies lived with details about the pollution levels in the areas.

After analyzing this data, the researchers found that people who had higher exposure to fine air particle solutions were more likely to experience cognitive function impairments like memory problems.

A different study trying to prove the link between air pollution and dementia risk followed 130,000 people living in London for a couple of years.

The adults were aged 50 to 79. During the study period, at least 2181 people developed dementia. The results reported that the participants who were exposed to higher levels of air pollutants specifically nitrogen and fine particles from fossil fuel combustion had a higher risk of developing dementia.

The researchers stated that people living in London exposed to the highest levels of air pollution were around 11/2 times likely to develop some form of dementia.

Long-term exposure to air pollution can increase risk

A study conducted in 2017 studied adults for over a decade. The participants were quite many (about 6.5 million adults).

The study that was published in The Lancet found that the people who lived near high-traffic major roads were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

This was regardless of their socioeconomic and health status. The study claimed that about 6-7% of all dementia cases were attributed to exposure to air pollutants.

Another study followed residents in Stockholm, Sweden. They followed individuals who were exposed to air pollution at relatively low levels.

The research that was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) found that even exposure to low levels of air pollution contributes to greater dementia risk specifically for persons who have heart diseaseshttps://readementia.com/signs-of-early-onset-alzheimers/.

Giulia Grande the lead author states that their findings suggested that air pollution plays a role in the development of dementia.

This is mainly through the intermediate step of cardiovascular illnesses and strokes. The researchers were studying about 3,000 adults for more than 11 years. The average age of the participants was 74.

Stroke and air pollution are most harmful

The study explained that while long-term exposure to air pollution was linked to dementia risk, this risk was higher for persons who suffered from a stroke.

About half of the dementia cases that they linked to air pollution exposure was explained by stroke. Researchers also noted that participants were residing in the Kungsholmen district where pollution levels are safely below international limits.

Scientists further extended their studies into mice. They found that there was a similar effect in the brain of mice after exposure to air pollution. The researchers exposed mice to air pollutants collected near busy roads.

This led to biological changes that usually cause brain damage and an increased level of protein amyloid.

This is still not enough to make a solid conclusion about the link between air pollution and dementia development.

It, however, shows that exposure to air pollution can lead to cognitive impairment. It is after the exposure brought forth symptoms like poor learning abilities, motor, and memory skills.

This is because, in the human brain, it is not automatic that amyloid protein on its own causes the development of dementia.

Closing Remarks

To give conclusive results on the issue of air pollution and dementia risk, scientists continue to conduct more studies to answer this question comprehensively.

The experts are taking into consideration pollution from different parts of the globe while using sophisticated techniques to try and establish if there is a direct link between air pollutants and dementia development.

Meanwhile, it is best for countries to start working on air quality to avoid some of the problems that are associated with air pollution.

Heart Disease and Dementia – Risk Factors

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes January 27, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, heart disease and dementia

Over the years, there have been studies trying to uncover the link between heart disease and dementia.

As a result, scientists now include heart disease as one of the risk factors that contribute to the development of dementia.

To get more information about this, here are examples of some of the studies that showcase the link between the development of dementia and heart disease.

Is dementia related to heart disease?

Studies Explaining the Relationship between Heart Disease and Dementia

As mentioned earlier, researchers have conducted several studies on vascular risk factors concerning the development of dementia.

Dr. Rebecca Gottesman led one of the studies at John Hopkins University. It was called the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study.

Together with her team, they studied about 16,000 middle-aged people over 25 years.

These were persons who lived in four different states aged between 44-66 years.

Researchers studied the participants with numerous medical tests at least five times. During the 2nd, 4th, and 5th exams, the participants underwent cognitive tests of thinking and memory.

Medical history is important

Caregiver interviews, in-person visits, telephone interviews, death certificates, and hospitalization records were the methods that the researchers used to collect health data.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded the study.

Within the 25 year study period, over 1500 participants got dementia.

The study confirmed reports that persons with vascular risk factors during midlife, like hypertension or diabetes, had higher chances of developing dementia.

Another study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association states that women should be given the same treatment as men when they have heart disease.

This was conducted by a team of psychologists, neurologists, and cardiologists.

Men and women should get the same treatment

In their findings, they record that internists and cardiologists have a crucial role in preventing strokes, which can be done by giving women a similar treatment to men.

This is important when learning about heart disease and dementia because the link between stroke and heart disease is quite significant.

Stroke is one of the risk factors for coronary heart disease.

On the other hand, different forms of heart disease are also considered to be stroke risk factors.

After extensive research, the professionals found out that women usually get less aggressive treatment when it comes to preventing strokes as opposed to men.

According to the experts on the study, receiving appropriate treatment can help to decrease the risk of stroke by 80%.

They go further to state that receiving an adequate dose of blood thinners raises the dementia survival rate to 97% when compared to 85% for the individuals who do not get the correct dose.

Women, after surgery, experience more problems

In addition to this, the report also informs us that women who go through heart procedures without surgery, like the aortic valve procedure, experience more strokes but with less mortality.

Women also tend to have more brain injury after going through cardiac surgery when compared to males.

The study does not define why the difference exists, citing that further research needs to be done to come up with a solid answer.

A third study specifically looked at the link between heart disease and dementia in women. This was titled “Cardiovascular Disease and Cognitive Decline in Postmenopausal Women.

This stated that older women who had a history of heart diseases or other heart-related issues were at higher risk of developing dementia and memory and thinking problems than the ones without heart disease.

The study was released on 18th December 2013 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Women are more prone to experience cognitive decline

The lead author of the study was Dr. Bernhard Haring, who is based in Germany at the Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, which is part of the University of Wurzburg.

Researchers uncovered that women who experienced heart attacks were twice as likely to start experiencing declines in their memory and thinking skills.

The researchers studied over 6000 women between the ages of 65-79. At the onset of the study, all the participants went through a brain function test and they were also asked if they had any heart problems.

About 900 said that they had heart disease while none had memory or thinking problems.

After about eight years, over 400 women started showing signs of dementia or cognitive decline.

The study found out that the ladies who already had heart disease were 29% more likely to experience cognitive problems than those who did not have heart disease.

The research also reported that women who have already experienced a heart attack were at higher risk of developing memory and thinking trouble.

The same case also applied to those who have a history or hardening of the arteries that transport blood to the feet and legs as well as those who have a history of peripheral vascular disease or bypass surgery.

It also stated that heart failure and abnormal heart rhythm were not linked to a decline in brain function.

Closing Remarks

Understanding the connection between heart disease and dementia is crucial one of the reasons multiple studies are conducted on the same.

This is especially because dementia is not reversible, but heart disease is.

People should, therefore, adopt healthy practices like eating well, exercising, and getting quality sleep to keep heart diseases at bay as this might, in turn, prevent the development of dementia.

This is even though scientists are still looking into the causes of dementia.

Individuals who already have heart disease should see their doctors regularly to keep blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes in check because this is vital for heart and brain health.

Diabetes and Dementia – Are They Related?

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes, Prevention, Signs January 18, 2021December 19, 2023dementia, diabetes, signs of dementia

Scientists, over the years, continue to link diabetes and dementia. Does sugar have a negative effect on a dementia-infected brain?

There are over twenty million people with diabetes in America alone.

Around six million of these individuals do not even know that they have diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the USA.

What is Diabetes

Diabetes is an illness that decreases the ability of the body to convert sugar into energy. When a person with diabetes fails to control the condition, the blood remains with too much sugar.

Over time, this can lead to the damage of multiple organs in the body, including the brain.

It creates a dangerous spiral where the causes of diabetes can also result in mental deterioration.

Dementia, on the other hand, is a brain disorder that affects emotions, thinking, behavior and, to some extent, the ability to perform daily tasks.

It can reduce life expectancy as well as the quality of a person’s life.

Some studies reveal that people who have both diabetes and dementia die faster than the ones who only have dementia.

Researchers and scientists are finding more evidence linking diabetes primarily Type 2 diabetes to memory loss issues such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

However, it is worth mentioning that there is still no concrete evidence on precisely what cause’s dementia and how diabetes comes into play.

It is also worth mentioning that not everyone who has diabetes will end up with dementia.

Doctors, however, do know that high insulin or blood sugar levels can harm the brain in multiple ways like:

Causing Chemical Imbalance in the Brain

Your brain depends on several chemicals in the body to function properly. Too much insulin can affect these chemicals, causing an imbalance.

Such changes occurring in the brain can trigger dementia, as well as other illnesses.

Development of Other Medical Conditions

A person who has diabetes has a high risk of developing other medical conditions like:

Stroke
Heart disease
Joint and bone problems
Kidney diseases
Digestive problems
Nerve damage
Eye damage
Yeast infection

These could hurt organs like the heart and blood vessels as well.

Damaged blood vessels usually imply that the brain will not get enough oxygen and nutrients; another factor that can contribute to vascular dementia.

This is a kind of dementia that occurs because of brain damage that mostly comes about because of blocked or reduced blood flow to the brain.

Increasing Risk of Cerebrovascular Diseases

A high percentage of people who have diabetes are at high risk of developing cerebrovascular illnesses.

These are triggered by things such as oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, and inflammation.

Additionally, as the brain continues to age, because of changes in amyloid metabolism and other related factors, it becomes easier to develop memory issues.

Structural changes in the brain show some evidence of the association between diabetes and dementia.

Affecting How the Brains Handles Insulin

Ongoing research also points out that the link between the two medical conditions may happen as a result of the ways that diabetes affects the brain’s ability to respond to insulin and use glucose (sugar).

Note that glucose is the main source of energy for the brain.

Therefore, when cognitive function is affected, because of low levels of blood glucose, the outcome can be severe neuronal damage.

Insulin resistance makes the body producing more insulin than necessary in a bid to keep the glucose levels within a healthy range.

This can also affect the brain in that high levels of insulin can damage small blood vessels and other brain cells. Insulin resistance also affects other parts of the body.

When not enough insulin is making its way to the brain, it does not only cause the brain to function normally. It can also be the cause of a person developing small strokes, which increases dementia.

Causing Inflammation

When there is a spike in blood sugar, it can easily lead to inflammation affecting the brain and other parts of the body. This naturally leads to the damage of brain cells.

It is another factor that can lead to the development of dementia.

Chronic inflammation often leads to the formation of tau tangles and amyloid plaques brain abnormalities that are hallmarks of dementia illness.

Increase the Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment

When talking about diabetes and dementia, it is worth noting that diabetes also contributes to the increased risk of developing MCI (mild cognitive impairment).

This is a condition where you end up experiencing more memory and cognitive (thinking) problems than the ones present as people age.

It is a set of symptoms where individuals struggle to remember things that they already know and also have issues with the ability to think.

Initially, these memory problems are usually not severe enough to bring about challenges with day-to-day living.

Eventually, some studies claim that people with MCI get dementia. MCI has been known to accompany or precede dementia.

Build-Up of Proteins in the Blood

Diabetes has also been known to contribute to the build-up of toxic proteins in the brain that is associated with dementia.

When there is too much protein in the brain, it disrupts the functioning of synapses, which are the connections that are formed between brain cells helping information to circulate to and from the brain.

The brain, at this point, may not be able to clear out the waste products.

In line with this, recent studies also reveal that elevated glucose levels in the blood can increase amyloid beta levels.

This is one of the significant components of brain plague in persons who have dementia. A build-up of plaque is thought to be a driver of complex changes in the brain leading to the development of different types of dementia.

Diabetes makes it challenging to control healthy levels of blood sugar.

This results in harmful effects on a person’s brain, increasing the risk of dementia onset.

When there is a lot of glucose in the blood, it may lead to increased neuron activity in the brain, which promotes the production of amyloid beta.

Type 1 Diabetes Causes Higher Risk of Dementia

Earlier, the article mentioned that most people with type 2 diabetes are likely to develop dementia as well.

There have also been other studies indicating that people who have Type 1 diabetes are also at risk of developing dementia.

Research shows that individuals with this type of diabetes typically face a higher risk of developing memory and thinking problems as they age compared to the general population.

Around 83% of seniors with type 1 diabetes are at risk of getting dementia as well.

With type 1 diabetes, a person’s immune system attacks insulin mistakenly triggering the production of beta cells in the pancreas. This leaves the persons with this type of diabetes with little or even no insulin in the body.

Insulin is an essential hormone in the body that enables the body to use up carbohydrates as fuel.

Individuals with type 1 diabetes are also at risk of getting hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) that could be another link between diabetes and dementia.

A Decline in Cognitive Function

It is common for people who have diabetes to experience a progressive decline in cognitive function. This has been recorded as one of the factors that usually cause the development of dementia.

The risk of getting one or more types of dementia is two-fold in seniors who have diabetes compared to their age mates.

This does not happen all at once but rather as the diabetes disease progresses, affecting more parts of the body.

With most diabetics, dementia is usually diagnosed after about three years of having diabetes.

Diabetes also accelerates issues like diabetic foot, microvascular diseases, cerebrovascular illnesses, acute metabolic events, and depression, among many others that may accelerate the onset of dementia.

Closing Remarks

When a person has one chronic disease, it is usually too much to deal with.

Sadly, there are some chronic illnesses like diabetes that frequently compound the effects of another to not only worsen the condition but also increase an individual’s risk of developing new conditions like dementia.

To stay healthy, it is important to work with your health care team to manage or prevent diabetes in a bid to reduce or completely avoid the complications it brings.

Proper diabetes management may involve things like:

Sticking to your doctor’s advice on how to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose.
Quit smoking.
Reduce alcohol intake.
Eating healthy foods including lots of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, low-fat cheese, and milk.
Managing a healthy weight.
Keep physically active (try and work out at least thirty minutes daily).
Remain socially and mentally active and engaged to reduce the risk of getting dementia.
Taking any prescribed medication on time.
Examining your feet for sores on a daily basis.

Working with an effective diabetes prevention or management plan can successfully lower the development of various types of dementia.

There is still a need for further studies and research into the relationship between diabetes and dementia.

This way, we can fully understand the correlation to come up with the most appropriate solutions to tackle the conditions.

12 Beginning Signs Of Dementia 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes, Signs January 11, 2021February 25, 2023dementia, dementia symptoms, early signs of dementia

If you are aware of the beginning signs of dementia, you can do a lot in regards to helping both yourself and your love ones.

Dementia is a general term that describes a decline in mental ability that ends up interfering with a person’s life. Experts link its development to the brain, losing some of its nerve cells, causing the brain to malfunction.

The severity of the illness ranges from early stages, which affect how a person functions to severe stages where an individual loses their independence.

Dementia stereotypically affects seniors who are over the age of seventy, although some younger people may also get it. There are different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and mixed dementia, to name a few.

To confirm that a person has dementia, doctors carry several tests to confirm the individual does not have other illnesses. Dementia medical assessment may include a physical exam, studying the medical history, and neurological examinations.

Medical practitioners will also study the symptoms a person is showcasing to help them come up with a conclusive report. Before visiting the doctor, there are some eye-brow raising signs that a person or their loved ones may notice to indicate that everything is not right.

Below you will find some of the beginning signs of dementia that might tell a person is experiencing the early stages of the illness.

Beginning Signs Of Dementia

1. Memory Changes

One of the earliest sign of dementia is memory loss. This is where a person begins to forget important things that end up interfering with their day to day life.

At the onset of the disease, the affected individual may find that they are always asking for the same details over and over again. They may also have to rely more on notes that family members and loved ones write.

Many people also experience challenges remembering recent information or events.

Note that occasionally misplacing keys and remembering where you put them does not count as a memory loss issue that relates to dementia. This is because mild forgetfulness is usually a normal part of aging.

2. Trouble Problem Solving and Planning

During the early stages of dementia, it is common for individuals to make plans and not go through with them. A person may have so many ideas for the future but does not focus on any.

Someone might not even be able to follow a simple recipe that they have used several times in the past.

During this stage, it may also become increasingly difficult to focus on detailed tasks, especially the ones that involve crunching numbers.

For instance, a senior may find that they can no longer balance a checkbook correctly, manage budgets, or even keep track of bills. One might not even comprehend the numbers and signs on a calculator compared to how skilled they were before.

3. Lack of Enthusiasm for Usual Activities

Lack of interest in things that a person once loved and apathy are among the beginning signs of dementia.

You may notice that your loved one no longer cares about things like woodworking, knitting, or even meeting up with family members for get-togethers. Some will not even want to spend time with their grandkids, an activity they once treasured.

Most individuals who have dementia value seclusion and they want to stay away from other people.

It does not necessarily mean that they enjoy their company. At times, they may feel embarrassed about the changes that are starting to happen in their bodies.

4. Difficulties Completing Familiar Tasks At Work, At Home, Or Leisure

When a person finds that it is tough to finish daily tasks successfully, it may be time to see a doctor for a dementia diagnosis. This is where one might not be able to finish dressing or even make breakfast on their own.

You may find that an individual starts to get into trouble with their boss for tasks that they seamlessly handled before. One might even get into their car and have to rack their brains to drive to a familiar place.

When a person gets together with their relations to play their favorite games, they may suddenly forget all the rules.

5. Disorientation to Time or Place

When you suddenly wake up from deep sleep, it’s usually impossible to determine the location, day, and exact time right away. It is a phase of disorientation that quickly passes and you can get to know the above details.

This is what a person with dementia may experience regularly. Only that the intensity of the disorientation is typically way worse.

An individual may not be able to tell their location or why they are there. They may also not be able to figure out the current season. Some persons possibly will start believing they are much younger because they are oblivious of the passing time.

6. Problems Writing or Speaking

Communication problems are ranked among the beginning signs of dementia. A person who is at the early dementia stages may no longer enjoy holding conversations because they do not flow naturally.

People around them may find it difficult to know what they are saying because words may be strewn all over the place in a way that does not make sense.

They can instantly forget what a person they are talking to has said; hence, not know what to replay. When writing, folks with dementia may perhaps find that their pieces have issues with punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

The illness occasionally affects a person’s handwriting, making it illegible.

7. Visual – Spatial Difficulties

Among the signs, you should observe when you suspect that a person has dementia is if there are any visual-spatial changes. It is where the elderly face a rough time when it comes to distances and depth perception. This is a sign that mostly affects driving because the driver cannot tell the correct distances.

Recognizing familiar faces or items becomes an uphill task.

Some cannot tell colors apart.

In such instances, a person may be forced to give up some things, like navigating stairs or reading a book because they cannot interpret what they see in front of their eyes.

8. Changes in Behavior

In addition to being withdrawn and quiet, doctors might also look for changes in behavior as part of the beginning signs of dementia. An individual may go through a wide range of emotions when one second they are happy, and the next they are spewing anger and frustration.

They may, furthermore, develop anxiety and insecurity. Poor judgment can also crop up at this point.

You can observe someone putting daily items in uncommon places. For example, one might put store food in a washing machine and clothes and shoes in the refrigerator.

The person with dementia might also insist on putting on winter clothes during summer.

9. Engaging In Purposeless Activities

If your loved one starts to engage in activities with no purpose, it might be an indication that they are starting to develop dementia.

Some of the things that people may do include packing and unpacking clothes, opening drawers without getting or putting anything and shutting them repeatedly, pacing and getting in and out of a door, among many others.

People who do not understand dementia might think that the person has lost their mind.

Experts explain that persons with dementia will act this way so that they can fulfill a need to be busy or do something productive with their time.

10. Loss of Sense of Touch and Motor Skills

Many people who develop dementia experience a loss of motor skills. Moreover, a sense of touch is among the beginning signs of dementia.

When it comes to fine motor skills, it is not rare to see a person’s hand trembling in that they cannot do easy tasks like buttoning a shirt or combing hair.

An individual with this progressive illness may also have a difficult time at the dining table because they cannot properly use cutlery.

Note that motor problems may also be an indication of another medical condition such as Parkinson’s disease. It is; therefore, essential to consult an expert doctor to know the illness this symptom is associated with.

11. Paranoia and Delusions

Most people with dementia will experience delusions and paranoia at a later stage.

A small percentage, however, will experience this at the early stage of the illness. The individuals may at first have some suspicions that someone is taking their items or misinterpret the things they hear or see misinterpret.

This can fast graduate to the individual firmly believing that a person is trying to hurt or even kill them.

Additionally, they may also experience hallucinations or hearing, tasting, or smelling non-existent things.

For example, a person might start to hear voices or see the face of a person they have not seen in a while.

12. Lack of concentration

It is widespread that a person with dementia starts to lack concentration. However, while older people begin to have a decrease in concentration naturally, it does not immediately mean they have dementia.

It is important to observe them over the course of several days, even a week or two, before making any decisions. That said, if you notice that their difficulty with concentration becomes troublesome, you should take them to the doctor or specialist as soon as possible.

The older adult begins to have evident issues with staying focused on a particular task, heck, even memorizing names and other information.

Closing Remarks

It is important to understand that dementia is progressive. This implies that the above symptoms may get worse while new ones may also crop up in later stages. At the onset of the disease, a person may still be independently requiring minimal supervision as they go about their daily life.

As time passes a person with dementia may find that they become increasingly dependent on caregivers.

Worth noting is that dementia does not affect everyone in a similar way. Each person has their unique experiences depending on factors like the type of dementia they have, the support they receive, environment, and personality.

12 Common Memory Loss Causes 2023

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes January 7, 2021February 25, 2023memory, memory loss, stress

To live a healthy and happy life, you need to be aware of the most common memory loss causes and try to eliminate them as soon as possible.

Almost everyone has experienced a degree of memory loss in their lifetime. It can be something as simple as forgetting where you put your house or car keys.

It can also be as serious as completely forgetting past experiences or failure to recall facts.

Episodes of memory loss are often associated with the development of dementia, especially as a person ages.

While this illness is responsible for multiple cases of memory loss, dementia is not always the sole cause. There are other reversible factors that can also stimulate memory loss.

The Most Common Memory Loss Causes

1. Stress

Too much stress may be one of the reasons you forget things. Stress overloads the mind and if left untreated, it can result in a myriad of issues including depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, brain drain, distractions, etc.

Persons undergoing stress are always tense, finding it difficult to focus; hence, the ability to remember suffers. Moderate stress often triggers short-term memory problems.

Exposure to chronic stress may escalate the risk of developing dementia.

It’s important to employ effective stress management strategies to enrich memory. This also helps to maintain and improve the health of the body, brain, and the quality of life.

2. Medications

Several over-the-counter and prescription medicines are among the leading memory loss causes. Possible meds that may impair memory include:

Antihistamines
Muscle relaxants
Antidepressants
Anti-anxiety medicines
Sleeping pills
Diabetes medication
Cholesterol-lowering medicine
Tranquilizers
Some painkillers especially the ones that doctors administer after surgery, etc.

When seeing different doctors for various conditions, it is important that each professional knows the complete list of medication you are on. It’s the only way to avoid taking medicines that will interact with the ones that you are already taking.

You can also ask your physician whether he or she can adjust the medications you are taking to reduce confusion and forgetfulness.

3. Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Chronic alcoholism and use of illicit drugs can affect your memory. From blacking out when you overindulge to amplified risk of dementia later on, alcohol and drugs have both instant and long-lasting memory loss effects.

Alcohol causes memory loss because it alters the hippocampus activities in the brain. Heavy drinking and the use of hard drugs interfere with the ability to create fresh long-term memories.

Studies show that men who drink heavily end up showing signs of mental decline years earlier than light drinkers.

The two are also known to be the cause of other health issues like liver failure, anemia, heart diseases, and so forth.

4. Nutritional Deficiency

Your diet plays an important role in your ability to keep information and recall things. Lacking certain vitamins in the body are among the common memory loss causes that people experience.

An example is B12 an essential B vitamin that assists with regular nerve function.

When you lack this vitamin, it is easy to experience memory issues. In some cases, vitamin B12 deficit has shown symptoms that are easily mistaken for dementia.

The solution is to make sure you are getting enough B12 vitamin. You can get this from many sources like:

Fish
Dairy products
Meats
Foods fortified with vitamin B12

5. Traumatic Brain Injury

Memory issues are common in individuals who have TBI (traumatic brain injury). The injuries can damage sections of the brain that handle remembering and learning.

Generally, TBI affects newer memories more than the older ones. Some people may have problems remembering the exact cause of the injury. This means that the brain does not store specific injuries as a series of memory.

A majority of traumatic brain injury victims may not be able to store memories for some time after the injury.

Post-traumatic amnesia refers to the loss of consciousness from the TBI moment. It can last for a few minutes, weeks, or several months, depending on the severity of the brain injury.

6. Grief

Grief is amongst the emotional memory loss causes that affects many people. When you lose someone or even something you love or feel closely connected to, your body will use up lots of emotional and physical energy as a coping mechanism.

This may end up reducing your ability to focus on current events or people around you.

Consequently, your memory may suffer. A person needs time to process grief.

To some extent, grief is similar to depression, only that it stems from an acute loss or specific situation.

Depression, on the other hand, may occur without any particular cause. Support groups and individual counseling can help you successfully deal with grief.

7. Smoking

Whilst some people smoke for fun, cigarettes can harm memory. This is because smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that travels to the brain.

Studies reveal that smoking, particularly during midlife, causes poor memory.

Additionally, it makes it harder for you to learn and think. Smoking when you are over thirty years damages blood vessels in your brain and the rest of the body.

Scientists recognize smoking as a top dementia risk factor. Researchers also conclude that people who smoke are at higher risk of heart diseases.

It is best to quit smoking if you want to enjoy better functioning memory and overall health.

8. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

MCI is at the top of the list when it comes to common cognitive memory loss causes. This is when you experience a decline in mental abilities that develop slowly without necessarily changing your ability to go about your day to day activities.

There are different types of MCI.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment is the one most associated with memory loss.

Individuals with amnestic MCI tend to have more memory problems than others in their age group. Some of the signs of MCI are:

Forgetting to go to appointments or events
Frequently losing things
Having challenges coming up with words than other individuals of the same age

9. Sleep Deprivation

The perks of getting quality sleep are simply priceless. Among them include more energy, less weight gain, and most importantly the ability to think clearer.

Lack of adequate sleep can cause fatigue, which has been shown to affect both learning and memory.

If you find that you have trouble sleeping most nights, it is advisable to look for natural ways to improve sleeping habits.

This is not just light sleeping; you need to ensure that you are enjoying rapid eye movement sleep also known as deep sleep which plays a crucial role in memory.

It’s one of the best ways to help your brain retrieve and consolidate important information.

10. Silent Stroke

Perhaps one of the most surprising memory loss cause on this list is the silent stroke.

Noticeable changes in the ability to move and think to occur when a person suffers from strokes that block major blood vessels.

There is a high chance that you will experience mild memory problems after going through silent strokes that block blood vessels. This can change modify brain function.

Worth emphasizing is that your brain is vulnerable to reduced or blocked blood flow. This is because it denies the brain enough essential nutrients and oxygen.

Persons with memory loss are at higher risk of stroke.

11. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

If a person experiences underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism, they do not feel very well both mentally and physically. Some of the main symptoms of hypothyroidism are gaining or losing weight, fatigue, poor sleep and tiredness.

For your information, underactive thyroid can also affect memory. That said, you need to understand that memory decrease does not always mean dementia or Alzheimer’s. When you assume it is hypothyroidism, a simple blood test will reveal the mystery.

From then on, with the appropriate treatment, you can alleviate the condition and bring back the old self.

If and when brain fog and forgetfulness appear, you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

12. Good fitness & exercise

It is common sense that exercise, activity and great fitness are essential for a healthy brain. Not just that, for healthy memory, too! If you exercise just for two and a half hours a week, you are better off than then the majority of the population.

Can you imagine, just 150 minutes, and you can already experience outstanding results. However, that is not the case for approx. 75% of the people over 65. As a matter of fact, they are either overweight or obese, and this happens to be one of the causes of memory loss.

To your luck, you need very little to start getting in shape, especially if you mix exercise with quality food – you are winning the game.