According to MedicalNewsToday, Dementia is not a single disease in itself, but a general term to describe symptoms of impairment in memory, communication, and thinking.
A person with dementia may show any of these symptoms, mostly due to memory loss.
Some symptoms they may notice themselves, others may only be noticed by caregivers or healthcare workers.
Possible symptoms of dementia:
As the patient ages, late-stage dementia symptoms tend to worsen.
Sometimes, dementia is roughly split into four stages:
Mild cognitive impairment: characterized by general forgetfulness. This affects many people as they age but it only progresses to dementia for some.
Mild dementia: people with mild dementia will experience cognitive impairments that occasionally impact their daily life. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, personality changes, getting lost, and difficulty in planning and carrying out tasks.
Moderate dementia: daily life becomes more challenging, and the individual may need more help. Symptoms are similar to mild dementia but increased. Individuals may need help getting dressed and combing their hair. They may also show significant changes in personality; for instance, becoming suspicious or agitated for no reason. There are also likely to be sleep disturbances.
Severe dementia: at this stage, symptoms have worsened considerably. There may be a loss of ability to communicate, and the individual might need full-time care. Simple tasks, such as sitting and holding one’s head up become impossible. Bladder control may be lost.
Brain cell death cannot be reversed, so there is no known cure for degenerative dementia.
Management of disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, is instead focused on providing care and treating symptoms rather than their underlying cause.
If dementia symptoms are due to a reversible, non-degenerative cause, however, treatment may be possible to prevent or halt further brain tissue damage.
Examples include injury, medication effects, and vitamin deficiency.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced by some medications. There are four drugs, called cholinesterase inhibitors, approved for use in the U.S.:
A different kind of drug, memantine (Namenda), an NMDA receptor antagonist, may also be used, alone or in combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor.
There's no sure way to prevent dementia, but there are steps you can take that might help, here are some risk factors:
Though dementia generally involves memory loss, memory loss has different causes. Having memory loss alone doesn't mean you have dementia.
Some people have mild symptoms, such as blurred vision and numbness and tingling in the limbs. In severe cases, a person may experience paralysis, vision loss, and mobility problems. However, this is rare.
Scientists do not know exactly what causes MS, but they believe it is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS). When a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks healthy tissue, just as it might attack a virus or bacteria.
In the case of MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers, causing inflammation. Myelin also helps the nerves conduct electrical signals quickly and efficiently.
Multiple sclerosis means “scar tissue in multiple areas.”
When the myelin sheath disappears or sustains damage in multiple areas, it leaves a scar, or sclerosis. Doctors also call these areas plaques or lesions. They mainly affect:
There are four types of MS:
Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS): This is a single, first episode, with symptoms lasting at least 24 hours. If another episode occurs at a later date, a doctor will diagnose relapse-remitting MS.
Relapse-remitting MS (RRMS): This is the most common form, affecting around 85% of people with MS. RRMS involves episodes of new or increasing symptoms, followed by periods of remission, during which symptoms go away partially or totally.
Primary progressive MS (PPMS): Symptoms worsen progressively, without early relapses or remissions. Some people may experience times of stability and periods when symptoms worsen and then get better. Around 15% of people with MS have PPMS.
Secondary progressive MS (SPMS): At first, people will experience episodes of relapse and remission, but then the disease will start to progress steadily.
The most common symptoms of MS are:
Muscle weakness: People may develop weak muscles due to lack of use or stimulation due to nerve damage.
Numbness and tingling: A pins and needles-type sensation is one of the earliest symptoms of MS that can affect the face, body, or arms and legs.
Lhermitte’s sign: A person may experience a sensation like an electric shock when they move their neck, known as Lhermitte’s sign.
Bladder problems: A person may have difficulty emptying their bladder or need to urinate frequently or suddenly (urge incontinence). Loss of bladder control is an early sign of MS.
Bowel problems: Constipation can cause fecal impaction, which can lead to bowel incontinence.
Fatigue: This can undermine a person’s ability to function at work or at home. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS.
Dizziness and vertigo: These are common problems, along with balance and coordination issues.
Sexual dysfunction: Both males and females may lose interest in sex.
Spasticity and muscle spasms: This is an early sign of MS. Damaged nerve fibers in the spinal cord and brain can cause painful muscle spasms, particularly in the legs.
Tremor: Some people with MS may experience involuntary quivering movements.
Vision problems: Some people may experience double or blurred vision, a partial or total loss of vision, or red-green color distortion. This usually affects one eye at a time. Inflammation of the optic nerve can result in pain when the eye moves. Vision problems are an early sign of MS.
Gait and mobility changes: MS can change the way people walk, because of muscle weakness and problems with balance, dizziness, and fatigue.
Emotional changes and depression: Demyelination and nerve-fiber damage in the brain can trigger emotional changes.
Learning and memory problems: These can make it difficult to concentrate, plan, learn, prioritize, and multitask.
Pain: Pain is a common symptom in MS. Neuropathic pain is directly due to MS. Other types of pain occur because of weakness or stiffness of muscles.
In the later stages, people may experience changes in perception and thinking and sensitivity to heat.
MS affects individuals differently. For some, it starts with a subtle sensation, and their symptoms do not progress for months or years. Sometimes, symptoms worsen rapidly, within weeks or months.
The doctor will carry out a physical and neurological examination, ask about symptoms, and consider the person’s medical history.
No single test can confirm a diagnosis, so a doctor will use several strategies when deciding whether a person meets the criteria for a diagnosis.
These include:
Other conditions have symptoms that are similar to those of MS, so a doctor may suggest other tests to assess for other possible causes.
MS is a potentially severe health condition that affects the nervous system. Progression of MS is different for each person, so it is hard to predict what will happen, but most people will not experience severe disability.
As researchers learn more about genetic features and changes that occur with MS, there is also hope that they will be able to predict more easily which kind of MS a person will have and establish the most effective treatment from the earliest stage.
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder that causes unprovoked, recurrent seizures. A seizure is a sudden rush of electrical activity in the brain.
There are two main types of seizures. Generalized seizures affect the whole brain. Focal, or partial seizures, affect just one part of the brain.
A mild seizure may be difficult to recognize. It can last a few seconds during which you lack awareness.
Stronger seizures can cause spasms and uncontrollable muscle twitches, and can last a few seconds to several minutes. During a stronger seizure, some people become confused or lose consciousness. Afterward you may have no memory of it happening.
Seizures are the main symptom of epilepsy. Symptoms differ from person to person and according to the type of seizure.
A simple partial seizure doesn’t involve loss of consciousness. Symptoms include:
Complex partial seizures involve loss of awareness or consciousness. Other symptoms include:
Generalized seizures involve the whole brain. There are six types:
Absence seizures, which used to be called “petit mal seizures,” cause a blank stare. This type of seizure may also cause repetitive movements like lip smacking or blinking. There’s also usually a short loss of awareness.
Tonic seizures cause muscle stiffness.
Atonic seizures lead to loss of muscle control and can make you fall down suddenly.
Clonic seizures are characterized by repeated, jerky muscle movements of the face, neck, and arms.
Myoclonic seizures cause spontaneous quick twitching of the arms and legs.
Tonic-clonic seizures used to be called “grand mal seizures.” Symptoms include:
Following a seizure, you may not remember having one, or you might feel slightly ill for a few hours.
Some people are able to identify things or situations that can trigger seizures.
A few of the most commonly reported triggers are:
Identifying triggers isn’t always easy. A single incident doesn’t always mean something is a trigger. It’s often a combination of factors that trigger a seizure.
A good way to find your triggers is to keep a seizure journal. After each seizure, note the following:
You can also use your seizure journal to determine if your medications are working. Note how you felt just before and just after your seizure, and any side effects.
If you suspect you’ve had a seizure, see your doctor as soon as possible. A seizure can be a symptom of a serious medical issue.
Your medical history and symptoms will help your doctor decide which tests will be helpful. You’ll probably have a neurological examination to test your motor abilities and mental functioning.
In order to diagnose epilepsy, other conditions that cause seizures should be ruled out. Your doctor will probably order a complete blood count and chemistry of the blood.
Blood tests may be used to look for:
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is the most common test used in diagnosing epilepsy. First, electrodes are attached to your scalp with a paste. It’s a noninvasive, painless test. You may be asked to perform a specific task. In some cases, the test is performed during sleep. The electrodes will record the electrical activity of your brain. Whether you’re having a seizure or not, changes in normal brain wave patterns are common in epilepsy.
Most people can manage epilepsy. Your treatment plan will be based on severity of symptoms, your health, and how well you respond to therapy.
Some treatment options include:
Research into new treatments is ongoing. One treatment that may be available in the future is deep brain stimulation. It’s a procedure in which electrodes are implanted into your brain. Then a generator is implanted in your chest. The generator sends electrical impulses to the brain to help decrease seizures.
Migraine headaches are not simply a severe headache. Migraines are part of a neurological condition and often have other symptoms, including:
Migraines can be debilitating and a chronic condition that can impact daily life for some people.
There are many different medications used to treat and prevent migraines. But some people prefer to use natural treatments as alternatives or to supplement medical treatment.
Here are some natural remedies for migraines that people may want to try:
Acupressure involves the application of pressure to specific parts of the body. Stimulating specific points of the body in this way is believed to release muscle tension and alleviate pain.
One popular pressure point is the LI-4 point in the space between the base of the left thumb and pointer finger. Applying firm but not painful circular pressure to the LI-4 point, using the opposite hand for 5 minutes, may relieve headache pain.
Many people who get migraines notice certain foods can trigger them.
Common food triggers for migraines include:
Being aware of what might be triggering a migraine is critical. Some people use a food diary or migraine journal to keep track of potential triggers.
Essential oils are often used as natural remedies or as an antimicrobial in homemade cleaning products. Lavender is an essential oil often recommended as a remedy for stress, anxiety, and headaches.
Stress is a common trigger for migraines. Stress can also create a cycle where migraine pain worsens the stress, which then triggers another migraine. Finding outlets for stress, such as journaling, exercise, or meditation, may help to prevent future migraines.
Yoga is thought to help improve blood flow and reduce muscle tension, which can help relieve symptoms for people who get migraines. A comprehensive 2014 study compared conventional migraine treatment with and without the addition of regular yoga practice. The researchers found that the group who participated in a yoga program had greater relief than the group who joined in conventional treatment alone.
People need to collaborate with a doctor or migraine specialist to find a treatment regimen that works, even when trying natural remedies.
