Go ahead and count to four. In that time, about one new case of dementia<\/a> will have been diagnosed. And with our growing and aging population, the number of people living with dementia is only expected to increase in the coming decades.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n So, when we talk about dementia, does that include Alzheimer\u2019s too? Are they one in the same thing? Well, it\u2019s like the difference between having shortness of breath and asthma. Shortness of breath is a symptom, not a specific disease. Asthma, meanwhile, is a condition that can cause shortness of breath.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Dementia, then, is a combination of symptoms that negatively impact memory, communication and the ability to perform daily tasks. Alzheimer\u2019s disease is by far the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 per cent of all cases.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Other common types of dementia include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As of right now, there are more than half a million Canadians living with dementia<\/a> and about 25,000 new cases diagnosed each year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What causes dementia is damage to brain cells. Damaged brain cells can\u2019t communicate with each other, which affects our thinking, behaviour and feelings. Different types of dementia \u2013 like Alzheimer\u2019s – are associated with specific types of brain cell damage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What causes Alzheimer\u2019s disease <\/a>is the abnormal buildup of certain proteins in and around brain cells. One of the two proteins responsible, called beta amyloid, clumps together in the bran, forming \u201cplaques\u201d or deposits that can prevent signals from transferring between brain nerve cells. This ultimately causes those cells to die off.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The second protein, called Tau, create tangles within unhealthy brain areas that choke off and prevent nutrients from reaching brain cells. Over time, different areas of the brain, such as those responsible for memory and speech – shrink and die.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Leading a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s. Researchers estimate that around half the cases of Alzheimer\u2019s worldwide may be the result of several risk factors<\/a>, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Our brains change as we age, and bouts of forgetfulness \u2013 like not remembering someone\u2019s name or misplacing your keys \u2013 is just part of growing old. But memory loss that heavily disrupts your daily life could be a symptom of Alzheimer\u2019s or another form of dementia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you notice any of these symptoms in a loved one, don\u2019t ignore them. Schedule a doctor\u2019s appointment right away.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n There\u2019s currently no cure for dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s disease and it can\u2019t be reversed. But the news isn\u2019t all bad. There are several pharmaceutical<\/a> and alternative treatment options<\/a> on the market that can help slow down symptoms, such as memory decline or changes to speech and motor skills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Adopting certain lifestyle choices, like eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly and staying socially connected with others \u2013 can also help slow disease progression. Plus, technologies \u2013 like wearable, real-time tracking devices – provide an additional level of protection and security to loved ones living with Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Understanding all the available options can help loved ones living with dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s lead a fulfilling, dignified life for many years to come.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How are dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease related? Go ahead and count to four. In that time, about one new case of dementia will have been diagnosed. And with our growing and aging population, the number of people living with dementia is only expected to increase in the coming decades. So, when we talk about dementia,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":296,"featured_media":84161,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[628],"tags":[706,707,708,709],"class_list":["post-6586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-alzheimers-disease-symptoms","tag-dementia-symptoms","tag-dementia-vs-alzheimers","tag-early-signs-of-alzheimers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/296"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6586"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84375,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6586\/revisions\/84375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reddotalerts.ca\/eshopV2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\r\n
What causes dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Know the six early signs of Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Is there a cure or treatment available?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n