The difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia
Our elderly parents or relatives may one day receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, and, people often wonder what the difference between Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia is, since dementia is commonly equated with AD.
David Roeltgen, MD summarizes the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease:
Dementia:
Dementia is an impairment of thinking and memory that interferes with a person’s ability to do things which he or she previously was able to do.
Alzheimer’s:
Alzheimer’s disease is the common cause of dementia, and is particularly common in older people. Because it is the most common cause of dementia.
He also states that:
Distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease from other causes of dementia is not always as easy and straightforward as defining these terms. In practice, people and their disorders of behavior are far more complex than simple definitions sometimes commonly imply.
Be sure to read the rest of his article about the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia.
(via Minding our Elders)
My dad has dementia due to hardening of the arteries. He’s lucky it’s not Alzheimer’s, because his illness is not fatal. Fortunately, the Alzheimer’s drugs do work. He had to go through a lot of objective testing before they arrived at this conclusion — the simple diagnosis that he first received after a 10 second examination from a family physician was that it was Alzheimer’s. Fortunately for him, I am big believer in specialists and an even bigger nag.
Congratulations on being a “nag.” I’m so glad you persisted. It truly does matter what kind of dementia a person is coping with, and too many general physicians are jumping to the conclusion that it’s Alzheimer’s before they have done all the tests. Good for you. Carol