While the majority of people with dementia are over the age of 65, it can be seen, in very rare cases, in young individuals. How to identify the first signs of dementia? How to support people suffering from this syndrome? Elements of answers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dementia “is one of the leading causes of disability and addiction among older people around the world”. We can also talk about senile dementia.

It is a syndrome most often progressive which degrades the cognitive function of the person. If this pathology affects almost exclusively the elderly, “it is not a normal component of aging”, specifies the WHO.

Symptoms can vary from person to person. While the first signs may go unnoticed by those around them, they intensify over time, most often causing a total loss of the person’s autonomy. Several stages can be identified in dementia.

The first signs

• Memory loss;
• Disorientation, even in familiar places;
• Loss of the notion of time.

The second stage of the disease

• Severe memory loss: difficulty remembering people’s names or recent events;
• Difficulty performing daily tasks such as eating, bathing or using the toilet;
• Problems in the use of language;
• Significant disorientation.

Last stage of dementia

• Total loss of autonomy;
• Change of personalities and aggressiveness;
• Difficulties in moving;
• Loss of the notion of time and place;
• Inability to remember loved ones and past events.

At an advanced stage of the disease, the person may “have difficulty swallowing food without choking. These problems increase the risk of undernutrition, pneumonia (often due to inhaling secretions or particles through the mouth) and bedsores (because they cannot move) ”, explains the MSD Manual, a specialized information site. medical.

Degenerative dementias represent the vast majority of cases of neurological diseases leading to impaired cognitive abilities. We can cite for example:

• Lewy body dementia: it causes in particular hallucinations, motor disturbances, mood and behavior disturbances;
• Frontotemporal dementia: it is characterized by several symptoms such as personality change, physical neglect, inappropriate behavior and disinterest in loved ones. Amnesia appears in a second stage of the disease;
• Alzheimer’s disease: the most common. It manifests itself in memory loss, disorientation, change in behavior, difficulties in speaking and writing.

Some dementias are not degenerative, that is, they do not result from degeneration of neurons like vascular dementia. It most often affects people with vascular comorbidities. It is the result of stroke.

Dementia is caused by different types of diseases affecting the brain. The best known being Alzheimer’s disease.

Stroke is also a risk factor in the onset of dementia.

Currently, there is no real treatment to cure dementia or slow its progression. An early diagnosis of the disease and the implementation of a treatment will nevertheless make it possible to support and relieve the sick on a daily basis.

On its website, the WHO specifies that it is possible to reduce the risk of dementia by:

• exercising regularly;
• by not smoking;
• avoiding the harmful use of alcohol;
• by controlling their weight;
• by eating healthy;
• maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.