Difference Between Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia

Definitions

Often the terms Alzheimer's and Dementia are used synonymously. Such use is not only prevalent amongst laymen but even physicians sometime use the words interchangeably. However, Alzheimer's and Dementia are two different disorders affecting a human body. The following definitions would offer you a clear understanding of Alzheimer's as against Dementia:

Alzheimer's is a neurological disease that involves loss of mental capability to perform daily courses in a normal manner. The decline occurs usually in old age and is revealed by erosion of cognitive faculties like reasoning, planning and remembering.

Dementia is a form of deterioration of cognitive functions in a human brain that can be caused by any kind of severe damage or disease in the body. The most common diseases that cause dementia are Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, and dehydration.

Comparison

From the definitions it can be deduced that dementia and Alzheimer's are separate disorders with separate characteristics. There are many factors that differentiate one from the other. Those points of differences are as follows:

- Alzheimer's is a disease whereas dementia is a symptom of declining in the mental abilities.

- Alzheimer's disease shows signs of cognitive failures and gives rise to loss of memory, ability to strategize or reason. Dementia is caused due to such cognitive disorders caused by Alzheimer's disease.

- Alzheimer's disease is caused due to dementia but dementia need not be always caused by Alzheimer's. Dementia can attack a human brain even due to other diseases like stroke, Parkinson's disease, dehydration etc.

- Alzheimer's disease is the disorder that involves declining ability to lead a normal active life due to decreasing mental capabilities. Dementia is the process of deterioration of mental faculties that is caused by certain diseases, the most common one being Alzheimer's disease.

- Alzheimer is normally caused due to stroke, drying of nerves, malnutrition, and after a very severe disease. However, doctors are still yet to find out the exact reasons for the disease. Dementia has been studied thoroughly and has been found out to be a form of mental deterioration that can be caused by several harmful agents.

Cautions

It can be understood that Alzheimer's is a form of Dementia where the disease is marked by loss of memory and capacity to reason. Thus, when you visit the doctor you should know the difference between the two disorders so that the treatment procedure becomes comprehensive and easy for you as a care giver of any patient.

If a doctor diagnoses a patient and states that he or she is suffering from dementia, you need to remember that, the statement does not offer any solution. This is because, dementia is simply the symptom that can be caused by many form of diseases; treatment cannot begin as long as you do not find out the cause of such dementia.

It is always advisable to consult an experienced and reputed neurologist who would carry out an all-encompassing diagnosis and thoroughly study the reason behind dementia. The cause could be Alzheimer's disease or any other previously stated disease. In order to ensure the best of treatments, the root cause of dementia has to be explored.