Vascular dementia is a common form of dementia pertaining of difficulty in reasoning, planning, decision, memory and other thought process due to damage of the brain from inadequately flow of the blood into the brain.  Vascular dementia developed once the stroke blocks an artery located in the brain take place.  Vascular dementia can also be an effect from other conditions that can harm the blood vessels and decrease circulation taking away the essential oxygen and nutrients for the brain.  Vascular dementia usually begins between the ages of 60 and 70 and affects more men than women.  Controlling the risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking will greatly lessen the possible of acquiring vascular dementia.

What are the symptoms of vascular dementia?

Symptoms of vascular dementia may differ on what part of the brain is being affected with an inadequate blood flow.  Symptoms of vascular dementia are frequently has a common characteristics with Alzheimer’s disease.  The occurrence of changes in thought and reasoning after stroke is called the post-stroke dementia.  Vascular dementia may develop very slowly, similar with Alzheimer’s disease.  Research revealed that people affected with vascular dementia frequently have brain changes usual of more than one kind.  This condition is called mixed dementia.  The symptoms of vascular dementia include the following.

• Confusion
• Difficulty in paying attention and concentrating
• Decreased capability to manage thoughts or actions
• Decline in capability to evaluate a circumstances, build up an efficient plan, and correspond preparation to others
• Finding difficult in making a decision what to do next
• Trouble with memory
• Impatience and agitation
• Trembling way of walking
• Abrupt or recurrent urge to urinate
• Wandering at nighttime
• Sadness or depression

 

What are the causes of vascular dementia?

 

Frequent physical conditions that may result to vascular dementia include the following.

 

• Strokes that obstruct a brain artery normally become the reason of vascular dementia.  Although some strokes do not manifest any symptoms this may still enhance the dementia risk.   With the silent and apparent strokes the possibility of vascular dementia enhances with a lot of infarction that take place over a period of time.  Multi-infarct dementia is one kind of dementia that involves several strokes.
• The condition of narrowed and persistent damaged of the brain vessels may lead to vascular dementia.  Example of these conditions are high blood pressure, diabetes, weaken because of aging, hardening of the arteries, brain hemorrhage and lupus erythematosus.

 

What are the treatments of vascular dementia?

1.     Intake of medications.

Intake of medications prescribes by your doctor to control the underlying conditions that may enhance the vascular dementia.  It depends on what is your present physical condition; your health care provider may advise you of the medications in lowering your blood pressure, decreasing the cholesterol level, preventing the blood from clotting and maintaining the arteries clear and controlling the blood sugar level.  Doctors may also prescribed medications intended for Alzheimer’s disease to control the symptoms of vascular dementia.

 

 

2.     Attend counseling or local support group.

Attending counseling or any local support group may get a lot of benefits from it.  Get in touch with your local Alzheimer’s Association affiliate to be able to connect with the home care agencies, a telephone aid line and educational seminars.

 

 

 

 

3.     Provide support or encouragement.

Caregivers can lend a hand to a person affected with vascular dementia by listening, encouraging the person that life can still be meaningful and helping the person to keep their self-respect and self-worth.

 

 

 

 

4.     Provide a quiet environment.

A quiet environment can help to lessen the worry and anxiety for a person affected with dementia.  Create an everyday pleasant activity wherein the person with vascular dementia may enjoy.  There are things to avoid like too much noise, being pushed to memorize or remember things, or being requested to do difficult things for it will only cause anxiety to a person with vascular dementia.

 

 

 

 

5.     Keep up a healthy blood pressure.

Maintaining the blood pressure in a regular range may help to avoid both the vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

 

 

 

6.     Make sure the cholesterol is in normal level.

Always check the cholesterol if it is in normal level.  Maintain a healthy, low-fat diet and medications for lowering cholesterol if needed to lessen the possibility of acquiring vascular dementia, most likely to reduce the amount of plaque deposit building up within the arteries of the brain.

 

 

 

 

7.     Avoid or control the blood sugar level.

Control the blood sugar level with healthy diet and regular physical exercise will not only prevent the onset of diabetes but also decrease the risk of vascular dementia.

 

 

 

 

8.     Stop or avoid smoking.

Smoking tobacco may only cause damaged of blood vessels all over inside the body increasing the risk of vascular dementia.

 

 

 

 

 

9.     Do regular physical activity.

There are lot of healthy benefit can obtain from doing regular physical exercise thus helping to avoid from developing vascular dementia.

 

 

 

 

 

People with vascular dementia need a lot of understanding and affection.  Family is the first one who should give support to them.  Ask health care provider for proper medical attention for the person with vascular dementia.