A very common condition that affects the health of old aged people is dementia. It is not necessary that the disease is detrimental only for the patient but it also interferes with the daily lives of people living with them. Dementia is of many types and Lewy body dementia is the third most common type.
Lewy bodies are the abnormal deposits of the alpha-synuclein protein which in turn affects the brain’s chemicals. This affects deteriorate brain health which leads to symptoms typical of dementia. Although there is no cure, interesting and effective treatments to manage the symptoms of dementia are profoundly available.
1. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia-Visuospatial problems
We have eyes on the front part of the head which helps us navigate easily. We can interpret distance and direction thanks to our eyes. This information is processed by the brain and is a part of its ability.
But when the health of the brain declining, its ability to process even the simplest of information is a challenge. The person affected finds it difficult to move around and even simple tasks like getting hold a glass are difficult. They need to depend on others living with them to assist them in their routine.
2. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia- Issues of Cognitive ability
It is common to appearance a decline in cognitive health. A process of aging is symbolic of many abilities getting slower. Yet, they do not significantly impact the quality of life. Dementia is a very severe case of cognitive decline which has a significant impact.
It is very easy to make out cognitive decline associated with Lewy body dementia. This is evident because of the on/off fluctuating mode of the ability. One day patient is on a full alert while the next day they are in a state of utter confusion. This often gives an impression that the person is faking it and loss of cognitive ability can happen anytime-anywhere.
3. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia-Delusions
Our brain is the window to the world. At least this is how it works with healthy individuals. We know what’s happening around us and know the difference between reality and fiction. Lewy body dementia patients fight to understand this difference.
The lack of ability to differentiate fiction from reality gives rise to delusions. The patient begins to believe in fiction despite there being no evidence. They imagine that people who are trying to help are harming them.
4. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia-Difficulty in Movement
The brain controls our mobility consciously and subconsciously. This act requires the brain to be powerful and even a slight variation in this power can alter its ability to control mobility. Lewy body dementia patients experience issues with movement and at times attain an unusual posture and gait.
The patient’s limbs can get stiff and at times can experience tremors. Walking even the shortest of distance can be heavy on them. They also tend to fall every now and then which leads to additional injuries. Due to their limited mobility, they tend to increasingly depend on people living with them.
5. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia -Change in Personality
It is difficult to accept personality changes in people and especially in ones whom we love very much. A change in personality is a Lewy body dementia symptom and often this change in traits is diagnosed during their first evaluation.
Personality changes mean losing interest in their favorite hobbies, lack of responsibility towards people and things they used to care about. A tendency to do things repetitively also develops.
6. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia – Active dreaming
Dreams are still a puzzle for a normally healthy brain to process. It is often described as a process that helps us interpret information related to events in our life. Events that may have occurred but its memory is very vague. At times dreams affect us in surprising ways and we tend to sleepwalk and carry out other actions while sleeping.
In the case of Lewy body dementia, patients actually perform their dreams. They even carry out violent actions and can get too loud as well. This condition is also known as a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder.
7. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia – A faulty autonomic nervous system
The natural process like the beating heart, digestive system and its absorption of nutrition, inflation, and deflation of the lungs, energy extracted from foods and their co-ordinations is no ordinary feat. All the above actions are a subconscious part of our lives.
Patients with Lewy body dementia face difficulty in these carrying out the above-mentioned processes. Breathing can get heavy, issues with digestion arise and the heart pressure starts to rise or drop. This is a symptom that gets worse and serious in time.
8. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia – MEMORY LOSS
Dementia is synonymous with memory loss. It is the most devastating and obvious symptom of dementia. It is hurting to family members who have grandparents and parents affected by dementia. Patients forget their children, their spouse, and other relations and it actually gets very heartbreaking.
Memory loss in Lewy body dementia might not be relatively severe as in other versions of dementia. But, even the slightest act of forgetfulness can disrupt a moment. Memory loss in some patients affects their long-term memory while in some short-term memory is affected.
9. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia – HYPOMIMIA
Our face expressions represent our thought process. People interpret our mood by analyzing our facial expressions. If the world ever has a global language, it would be, facial expressions. We have 43 muscles on our face alone which help us portray the expressions.
Hypomimia is more common in patients with Lewy body dementia. It is also termed as Parkinson’s mask and is reflective of the patient’s inability to cast any expression on their face. Also, due to the lack of muscle movement in the face, the patient often drools and has a runny nose.
10. Symptom of Lewy Body dementia – Visual Hallucinations
Our brain has its own techniques for interpreting its surroundings. Eyes pass on information of sight to the brain which in turn processes it and tell us what is occurring around us. It is a well-co-ordinated system which is highly effective but not immune to fault.
Patients with Lewy body dementia have difficulty in processing information of sight. Their brain sees things which are not factual and non-existent. These are called as hallucinations and are awfully vivid. The patients are unable to interpret what’s real and what’s not.
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