Treatable Causes of Dementia

While there are causes of dementia we can’t really treat (Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia, Parkinson’s, Lewy Body, and Creutzfedt-Jakob disease) there are a great many that we can identify, treat and have success with reversing.The critical thing is to involve your physician in the diagnosis because the treatment for each of these problems depends on a successful diagnosis.Brain injury or trauma treatment has come a long way in the last few years and we now know the brain remaps itself and adapts if it gets the right kind of rehabilitation treatment.  This is one of those post-stroke and trauma treatments that should be thoroughly investigated.  Long term and repeated damage, think boxing, is going to be much more difficult to treat.Brain tumors mimic dementia because of the swelling and pressure they put on various glands.  As well, brain infections from problems such as meningitis and encephalitis can create dementia symptoms.  And many folks know that symptoms created by HIV/AIDS and syphilis can be treated, slowed but perhaps not totally repaired depending on the level of damage.Heavy metal exposure (mercury, lead) is one cause of dementia and there are some treatments if the problem is caught early enough.Most of the major organs of the body (liver, pancreas, kidneys) and glands (pituitary, thryoid) can create symptoms of dementia if they are damaged by disease or injury.  All can be treated and damage reversed if properly diagnosed and treated at the appropriate time.Hypoxia or lack of oxygen to the brain is a treatable cause of dementia.  Cigarette smoking, congestive heart failure, emphysema are all contributors to hypoxia and can be direct causes of dementia symptoms.Drug reactions are another of the common but treatable causes of dementia symptoms.  Either combinations of drugs (seniors take many and the precise interactions can be unclear) or as a direct cause.   For example, drugs for sedation can create these symptoms.  Illegal recreational drugs in high enough doses or in seniors can also be associated with dementia symptoms - these problems usually disappear when drug use is discontinued.Nutritional deficiencies.  The B vitamins are particularly associated with symptoms that resemble  dementia.  and this is most common in alcoholism - chronic drinking creates liver problems and this in turn is one of the above causes of dementia.While further information can be found at <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.alzheimers-information.com/causes-of-dementia.html">http://www.alzheimers-information.com/causes-of-dementia.html</a> all of these conditions are more or less treatable causes of dementia and should be diagnosed and handled by a qualified physician.

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