Dementia is an umbrella term for a collection of symptoms that results from damage to the brain caused by different diseases – for example Alzheimer’s disease.
Vascular dementia is a common type of dementia that is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.
This kind of dementia can have symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. These can include memory loss, disorientation and problems with communication.
There can also be more specific symptoms and these may differ depending on the area of the brain that is affected.
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, the symptoms include:
- Thinking skills – taking more time to process information and having problems with attention, planning and reasoning
- Personality changes – these may include depression and apathy (becoming less interested in things). People may also become more emotional.
- Movement problems – difficulty walking or changes in the way a person walks.
- Bladder problems – frequent urge to urinate or other bladder symptoms. This can be common in older age, but can be a feature of vascular dementia when seen with other symptoms.
The charity adds: “The symptoms of vascular dementia get worse over time.
“In the later stages the symptoms become more widespread and people need help eating, dressing and using the toilet.
“Vascular dementia normally progresses over several years. However, the speed of progression can vary over time and from person to person.
“There may be a sudden or stepwise change after an event such as a stroke.”
Dementia is estimated to affect around 850,000 people in the UK.
There’s no certain way to prevent dementia, and there’s currently no cure, but experts believe there are ways the disease can be prevented.
What’s good for your heart is also good for your brain, and with this in mind, the NHS suggests six ways to help reduce your risk of dementia.
These are:
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly
- Keeping alcohol to a minimum
- Stopping smoking
- Keeping blood pressure at a healthy level
Cutting down on how much we drink could slash the risk of dementia by a third, according to recent research.
