Is Dementia Normal?

There are a number of aspects of growing older that can be great about growing older. The adage that wisdom comes with age is most assuredly true, however there can be some things that become more difficult as a person ages. One of the most common diseases associated with growing older is dementia, which is sometimes referred to as senility. Unfortunately, using the term senility or senile does not really paint an accurate picture of dementia, because dementia is not a normal part of growing older.

There are actually a number of diseases that are classified as dementias, but they all result in the degradation of a persons mental facilities. One of the first indications of dementia is trouble remembering things and a much shorter attention span. As the dementia continues to progress, it is not uncommon to result in depression, bad judgment, and ultimately very serious confusion.

One of the reasons that dementia is associated with growing older is that it is more common among seniors and the elderly. For example, Alzheimer's, which is one of the most common types of dementia, is much more likely to be found in those over 70 years old. However, dementia can effect people of any age.

While dementia shares a great number of similarities with insanity, dementia is actually not the same thing as being insane. This is basically because dementia actually causes the brain to decay, as it were, which makes it much more difficult for the person to successfully process information.

Now, even though dementia is not part of the regular aging process, over time the mind does begin to loose some cells and neurons. However, in a healthy senior, the loss of these cells and neurons will not be destroyed in large enough numbers to actually seriously effect judgment and comprehension. Instead this normal loss simply means it sometimes takes a little bit longer to respond to external stimuli, but underneath that, the mind is just as sharp as ever.

To a very big degree, many of the stereotypes about seniors and 'senility' are not fair. This is because even though aging is inevitable and there is no magic fountain of youth, there is no unwritten law that says the elderly will suffer from dementia. Instead, dementia is caused by a specific disease that attacks the mind.

Not only is dementia not a normal part of aging, but often the symptoms of dementia are not caused by dementia, but instead of other diseases that share similarities with dementia. These diseases are called pseudodementias and can be sometimes be very serious. However, pseudodementias are usually much easier to treat and may even be reversible, providing they have been caught soon enough. However, in some cases these dementia like symptoms can be caused by very serious diseases, such as heart disease, which is why it is so important to speak with a doctor as soon as any of the common symptoms of dementia are discovered.

While many view dementia as an inevitable part in the circle of life, this is not really the case. Instead, dementia is a disease that should be treated as such.