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Symptoms, Signs, Causes, Diagnosis, Risk Factors, Types and Treatments.
Is it true that being stressed out in midlife can lead to dementia later on?
The latest research on the link between stress and dementia comes from a study conducted in Denmark. Researchers there examined the impact of a particular type of stress during midlife called “vital exhaustion” – a response to unsolvable problems in an individual’s life. Symptoms include unusual fatigue, increased irritability and demoralization.
The study found a higher risk of dementia later in life when vital exhaustion occurs in late middle age. The researchers noted, however, that it is also possible that psychological distress could stem from early stages of dementia pathology.
To reach their conclusions, researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark’s National Research Centre for the Working Environment and the Danish Dementia Research Centre looked at information from 6,807 participants in the Copenhagen City Heart Study who had responded to survey questions about vital exhaustion between 1991 and 1994. At the time the average age of the respondents was 60. The researchers continued to follow the participants through 2016 and by reviewing national health registers were able to determine which of them eventually developed dementia.
For each additional symptom of vital exhaustion in late midlife, the risk of dementia rose by 2 percent. Compared to participants who reported no symptoms, those who had 5 to 9 symptoms had a 25 percent higher risk of dementia. Those reporting 10 to 17 symptoms had a 40 percent higher risk. Even after the researchers adjusted for other known risk factors for dementia, including gender, marital status, lower educational level and other diseases or conditions, the link between vital exhaustion and the risk of dementia did not change.
An earlier, long-term study from Sweden found that midlife stress stemming from divorce, work pressures, and health problems among parents or siblings, can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. In 1968, researchers from Gothenburg University began collecting data on more than 800 women who were then in their late 30s to early 50s.
Over the next several decades the women underwent psychiatric exams and were asked about stress in their life and the signs of distress they experienced, including irritability, fear, or sleep disturbances. The most common stressor mentioned was mental illness in
a parent or sibling. By 2006, about one in five of the women – a total of 153 – developed dementia at an average age of 79, and another 104 developed Alzheimer’s. Data from the study showed that it took an average of 29 years for dementia to develop.
While these and other studies reveal that stress is involved in the development of dementia, we don’t yet know whether or not stress-reduction training can lower the risk. Learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and measures that may help reduce your risks.
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Stress Management
Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on your physical and mental health.
Learn to keep stress in check – join the Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging online guide.
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Andrew Weil, M.D.
Source: Sabrina Islamoska — Psychological distress is a risk factor for dementia — ScienceDaily
Sabrina Islamoska et al, “Vital Exhaustion and Incidence of Dementia: Results from the Copenhagen City Heart Study,” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, January 8, 2019, doi:10.3233/JAD-180478
Why is reassurance important in healthcare?
Dementia is not a single disorder or disease.
It is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of specific medical problems, including Alzheimer’s disease. The abnormal brain changes cause these conditions grouped under the general term called “dementia.” Such changes cause a decrease in
the ability to think, also known as a cognitive ability that is severe enough to hinder daily life and independent function. Dementia affects behavior, emotions and relationships as well. In 60 to 80 percent of cases, Alzheimer’s disease reported.
Vascular dementia, which is the second most common cause of dementia, occurs due
to superficial bleeding and blockage of the blood vessels in the brain. But many other disorders can induce dementia symptoms, including reversible ones such as problems
with thyroid and deficiencies in vitamins.
Dementia is often misrepresented as “senile dementia” or “senility,” reflecting the historically common yet false assumption that a natural part of ageing is a serious
mental deterioration.
1 Early Symptoms of Dementia.
Depending on the symptoms, there are many different types of dementia. The most prominent is Alzheimer’s disease, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Other types are as follows:
Vascular dementia
Lewy body dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Mixed dementia, or a combination of all types/
There are a few typical dementia symptoms. In general, there must be two or more of
these symptoms present in a person to label him/her a case of dementia and the signs
and symptoms would be severe enough to cause interference with their daily lives.
These include.
Subtle short-term memory changes
Memory disorder may be an early symptom of dementia. The shifts are often gradual, affecting short-term memory. An older person may not be able to remember the things
he had for breakfast. Other short-term memory symptoms include.
Forgetting where they left an object
Struggling to remember why they entered a room
Forgetting the way back home
Forgetting what they were doing on any given time or day.
2Difficulty Finding the Right Words.
Another early dementia symptom is the inability to express feelings.
It may be difficult for a person with dementia to describe something or find the right words to express himself. It can be difficult to have a meaningful conversation with a person with dementia, and to believe it may take longer than usual.
3Changes In Mood.
Dementia is also associated with a change in mood. If you have dementia, noticing
this in yourself is not always easy, but you may recognize this shift in another person.
For example, depression is characteristic of early dementia.
Along with changes in mood, you may also see a personality shift. A common example of dementia personality change is a transition from quiet to outgoing. This is because the condition often impairs judgement.
4Apathy
Apathy, or insanity, is common in early dementia. A person with these symptoms may lose interest in activities or hobbies. They may no longer want to go out or have fun. He may lose interest in spending time with friends and family and may seem emotionally flat.
5Difficulty Completing Normal Tasks
Early dementia to somebody can be suggested by a subtle shift in the ability to complete normal tasks or routine daily activities. It usually begins with more complex tasks such as juggling a chequebook or playing games with lots of rules and gradually moves to cover the simple tasks.
People with dementia can also struggle to learn how to do new things or follow new routines along with the struggle to complete familiar tasks.
6Confusion
One can often get confused in the early stages of dementia. If memory, thought,
or judgement lapses, there may be confusion as they can no longer remember faces,
find the right words, or interact with people as they were doing before.
For a number of reasons, misunderstanding and confusion may occur and extend to different situations. People with dementia might, for example, misplace their car keys, forget what’s next in the day, or have trouble remembering someone they’ve met before.
7Difficulty Following Story Lines
Early dementia can cause difficulties following story lines. This is an early symptom
in most of the cases. Just as it is difficult to find and use the right words, these people often forget the meanings of words they hear or fail to follow along with conversations
or television programs.
8Failing Sense of Direction
With the onset of dementia, the sense of direction and spatial orientation
usually starts to deteriorate. This may indicate that one-family landmarks are
not remembered, and commonly used directions are forgotten.
Following a series of directions and step-by-step instructions became more difficult.
Dementia: Coping with Anxiety and the Fear of Being Alone.
Individuals with dementia often have anxiety which can make them feel nervous,
worried, or cause them to not want to be left alone or out of sight of their caregivers.
This typically happens when dementia causes changes in the brain that make it harder to recognize their caregivers or family, process what is happening around them, feel unsafe in their own home, and not being able to remember what they may have just done.
All of these can lead to a feeling of fear in which the individual with dementia may
need to check things repeatedly or may not want to be left alone at all.
In some cases, the individual with dementia may pick one caregiver and not want to be out of that person’s sight. When this happens, a person with dementia makes this caregiver the center of his/her universe and will follow the caregiver around like a shadow.
If the caregiver walks into another room, the individual with dementia might immediately become anxious and fearful and follow the caregiver wherever he/she goes.
It is important to remember that the person with dementia is not doing this to upset
the caregiver, but instead to reassure the person with dementia that the caregiver is still there. Caregivers make persons with dementia feel safe in their confusing world. There are several things that caregivers can do to help individuals with dementia cope with the anxiety and fear of being left alone.
Try to be comforting and reassure them that they are safe. Make eye contact and actively listen to their fears without trying to argue with them. It might be helpful to try and take them for a walk or do something they enjoy as a distraction. Once the anxiety starts, there are some things caregivers can do to prevent the anxiety from becoming worse. Having a regular routine in place may help reduce some anxiety. It is important to identify any patterns or potential causes of the anxiety and remove the causes of anxiety, if possible.
If you see the individual with dementia start to become fearful or anxious, try to
intervene and redirect before it gets any worse. Speak in a gentle, calming voice and try relaxing music or aromatherapy. If the anxiety continues, it might be helpful to contact individual with dementia’s doctor and see if there are any medical conditions that could be contributing to the anxiety and consider other possible interventions that may help reduce the anxiety.
It is important for the caregiver to find time in the day to take care of themselves too.
If caregivers are stressed or on edge, individuals with dementia could pick up on this and become more anxious. Reach out to family, friends or formal respite options to get a break from caregiving. Possible ways for caregivers to manage stress — include deep breathing, regular exercise, healthy eating, and support groups.
The following information was taken from the Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles Caregiver Tip Sheet. Anxiety and dailycaring.com/alzheimer’s-fear-of-being-alone-5-ways-for-caregivers-to-cope
Dementia vs Alzheimer’s: How to Tell the Difference (aarp.org)
What does surprise, fear, stressed, pain or being alone have on dementia.
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