It’s World Alzheimer’s Month this month with World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September aimed at raising awareness of this heart-breaking disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, the UK’s biggest killer and very possibly the largest health and social care issue of our time. The impact on the lives of those it affects, on the healthcare system and society in general is enormous.

There are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia. It mainly affects people over the age of 65 and is also more common among women than men. Although the likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly with age (one in 14 people aged over 65 has dementia, rising to one in six for people aged over 80), it can affect younger people too. Often called young-onset dementia, around one in 20 with dementia are younger than 65. There are more than 70,800 people in the UK who have young-onset dementia.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA?

Dementia is a group of symptoms. It’s caused by different diseases that damage the brain. It’s a progressive disease which mean the symptoms can start off mild, but sadly they get worse over time.

Some of the common early signs and symptoms include:

• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating, planning or organising.
• Struggling to make decisions, solve problems or needing help with daily tasks such as cooking.
• Problems with language and communication.
• Difficulties following a conversation or finding the right word for something.
• Problems judging distances, perceiving the edges of objects and misinterpreting patterns or reflections.
• Losing track of the time or date or becoming confused about where you are.
• Mood changes or difficulty controlling emotions.

It’s very important to remember that if you have of these symptoms, it doesn’t mean that you necessarily have dementia.

TYPES OF DEMENTIA

Around 19 out of 20 people with dementia have one of four main types, although everyone is affected individually and may have symptoms of more than one type.

Alzheimer’s disease
The most common type of dementia and for most people, the first signs are problems with their memory, thinking, language or perception.

Vascular dementia
The second most common type of dementia with common signs that include problems with planning or organising, making decisions or solving problems.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)
Closely related to Parkinson’s disease, symptoms include having difficulties staying focused, experiencing delusions, and problems with movement and sleep.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
Sometimes called Pick’s disease or frontal lobe dementia, this less common disease has symptoms that include changes to personality and behaviour and/or difficulties with language.

CAUSES AND TREATMENT

It’s still not clear what causes dementia. Although it’s rare that it’s passed down from parent to child, there is some evidence that some things can increase your chances of developing dementia, including:

• High blood pressure.
• Physical inactivity.
• Drinking too much alcohol.
• Smoking.
• Hearing loss.
• Diet.

While there is currently no cure for dementia, the right diagnosis, care and treatment (both medication and non-medical) can help a person with dementia live well for as long as possible.
Early diagnosis has many benefits so if you are concerned or you’re worried about symptoms that may be dementia, it’s important to start by talking to your GP and you’ll be supported every step of the way.