Causes of dementia: easy to avoid

What are the causes of dementia? What are the factors that may increase your chances of developing this type of disease? Important information and details await you in the following article.

Dementia is a condition in which brain functions begin to deteriorate at a gradual rate, and its symptoms usually include memory loss, among many other symptoms.

Although dementia is a particularly common condition among the elderly, this disease is not a normal part of aging, so let's learn about the causes of dementia and some important information in this regard:

Causes of dementia:

In normal cases, the mass of the brain and its speed to perform its functions may decrease with age, but it remains able to exercise its usual natural functions, but in certain cases, certain changes may arise in the brain that can affect the health of the brain and cause the patient to develop dementia, such as the following changes:

• Death or damage to certain nerve cells or brain tissue, which can reduce the ability of nerve cells and different brain regions to communicate with each other.
• A blockage in the blood vessels that deliver blood to the brain, this type of blockage may reduce the ability of brain tissue to get its nutrition, which may make brain tissue vulnerable to damage.

These are the main reasons that may lead to brain tissue and cells being affected by the aforementioned changes that may trigger dementia:

1. Degenerative diseases of the nervous system

Generally, degenerative neurodegenerative diseases are among the common causes of dementia, particularly the following diseases:

• Parkinson's disease.
• Alzheimer's disease.
• Huntington's disease.
• Some types of multiple sclerosis.

This type of disease can attack brain cells and the connections that hold them together, and these diseases often get worse over time.

2. Exposure to certain accidents

Among the possible causes of dementia is exposure to injuries and accidents, exposure to certain accidents can negatively affect the brain in a way that may stimulate dementia, especially accidents in which the patient may suffer a direct injury to the head and brain, such as car accidents, or falls.

However, it should be noted that the symptoms that appear on the patient depending on the affected area of ​​the brain and whether these affect memory and cognition.

3. Disorders of the central nervous system

Such as the following diseases and disorders:

• Some types of hydrocephalus, a condition in which certain fluids may begin to build up in the brain.
• Subdural hematoma, a condition in which blood clots may begin to form in the outer covering surrounding the brain.
• Meningitis, is a type of infection that may affect the central nervous system.
• brain attack.
• brain tumors;
• Jakob-Kreitzfeld syndrome, also known as spongiform encephalopathy.

4. Having nutritional problems

Nutritional problems can also lead to dementia, such as the following health problems:

• Malnutrition or dehydration.
• Low levels of certain vitamins, such as vitamin B12, vitamin B1, and vitamin E.
• Electrolyte levels imbalance.
• In many cases, treating this type of dementia cause can alleviate the symptoms of dementia, or lead to a complete disappearance of the condition. These reasons may be temporary causes of the condition only.

5. Other causes of dementia

The following reasons can also trigger dementia:

• Prolonged use of some harmful substances, such as alcohol, and certain medicines.
• A drop in blood sugar levels.
• Low levels of thyroid hormones, known as hypothyroidism.
• Exposure to certain types of infections or infections, such as HIV and syphilis.
• Diseases of the circulatory system.

Factors that increase the risk of dementia

These are the main factors that may make you more likely than others to develop dementia:

• Heredity, and the presence of dementia among family members.
• Age group, as the chances of infection increase after the age of 65 years.
• Having depression.
• Down syndrome.
• Having certain diseases or disorders, such as diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea.
• Exposure to an injury to the brain region, or a stroke.
• Adopting harmful habits, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and an unhealthy diet.
• Obesity and low levels of physical activity.

Dementia prevention

In some cases, it may not be possible to prevent dementia, as in cases where the cause of dementia is chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, but in other cases, dementia can be prevented, especially if the cause of dementia is temporary or treatable, here are some important recommendations that may make you less likely to have dementia:

• Follow a healthy, low-fat diet.
• Maintain healthy body weight and exercise regularly.
• Always keep blood sugar levels and blood pressure under control.
• Quit smoking and avoid alcohol.
• Get enough sleep every day.
• Treating hearing disorders for patients with them.