Worried that a loved one hasAlzheimer’s disease?
While you may be right, you should be sure to have a physicianconduct a thorough evaluationto be certain.
Some illnesses and conditions that look and act like Alzheimer’s are reversible with appropriate treatment.
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Here are 10 potentially reversible causes ofdementia symptoms.
Early identification and treatment of NPH typically produce better results.
These includememory lossandbehavior changes, such asagitationand irritation.
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Some people develop a deficiency in vitamin B12 due to poor diets.
Other causes of this deficiency include health problems such as pernicious anemia or Crohn’s disease.
Older adults can also develop a reduced ability to absorb this vitamin.
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Vitamin B12 supplementation can often improve or restore your memory and overall cognitive functioning.
Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause frustrating cognitivesymptoms, but with treatment, many people’s symptoms fully resolve.
Severe insomnia and sleep deprivation can significantly impact our ability to think and reason.
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The good news is that there’s a cleartreatmentto this cause of memory loss.
Cognition can significantly improve if this issue is identified and addressed.
Brain tumors can cause many symptoms including some that affect memory, judgment, personality changes and impulse control.
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Symptoms of a subdural hematoma include confusion, lethargy, difficulty with speech and headaches.
Treatment can involve medication or surgery to drain the blood off the brain.
Outcome varies depending on the success of the treatment.
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In older adults, delirium is often brought on by an infection such as aurinary tract infectionor pneumonia.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the cause of delirium are important for restored cognition.
This condition is sometimes reversible with emergency treatment at the hospital.
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Korsakoff’s syndrome is typically a long-term condition that sometimes follows an incident of Wernicke’s encephalopathy.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 25% of people with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome will fully recover.
Prompt assessment, diagnosis, and early treatment may be able to improve or even reverse that decline.
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