Dementia Life Expectancy

By Jack Morgan


Dementia is an area that researchers haven't studied enough. Currently, there are 24 million people all around the world suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, and this number continues to grow everyday. This number is expected to triple, approximately by 81 million come 2040.

The symptoms are classified in stages in order to serve as a guide on dementia life expectancy and how an individual reach to specific stages and symptoms. These stages can overlap and fluctuate especially with the existence of other physical condition.

The condition is caused by various situations like diseases that result to nerve cells degeneration like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. It is also associated to health condition that attack blood cells like stroke leading to multiple infarction dementia. At times, it can be due to excessive drug use and alcohol or nutritional deficiencies, specifically in folate and Vitamin B12.

Thus the level of care, overall health and individual's age also plays a major role in determining the life expectancy of people suffering from dementia. There are several stages of dementia through which a person goes and every stage is marked by further decline in the memory and cognitive abilities.

During the final stage of dementia, the life expectancy of the individual will start diminishing rapidly as he or she will lose his or her ability to respond to the environment. The early onset of dementia may also be due to other syndromes and diseases as it determines the dementia life expectancy in an individual.

The most common causes of dementia in individual between the age of 45 years and 65 years are human immunodeficiency (HIV), Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Even though patients can't change factors such as age or their gender after they get diagnosed with dementia, the study suggests that the level of care given to a person can significantly extend their life expectancy. People who take care of loved ones diagnosed with dementia must design a care plan and take advantage of any support groups and other resources available.

In the fourth stage, the person suffering from dementia may totally shut out to another world. They may be seen lying in bed or sitting in char and appear light staring in the aur or eyes closed. They may not speak or respond with others. However, the sense of touch is still intact. Also, hearing is still in good shape so, it is vital that you continue having physical contact or talk to them.

Overall, the dementia life expectancy is really not predictable as with other diseases. It can progress for around decades and may shorten life especially at the later stages along with other health disorders like pneumonia. Understanding the stages and its progression and taking care of other needs is a must for people with dementia.




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