"Alzheimer's vs. Dementia - What's the Difference?"

en a spouse or loved one becomes forgetful and unable to handle some daily tasks, it can be difficult to determine exactly what's going on. And while Alzheimer's disease isn't necessarily the

problem, anyone with any type of consistent mental confusion should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible.

Dementia is a medical term used to describe a group of different diseases, all of which affect the brain and cause memory loss, impaired thinking and confusion. Short-term memory loss is the most visible symptom. Dementia can be caused by small strokes, by brain tumors, fluid build-up on the brain (hydrocephalus), alcoholism and vitamin deficiency. It can also be caused by various disorders, including AIDS, syphilis, Down's syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Pick's disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Many, but not all, forms of dementia will get progressively worse. People who smoke are more likely to develop dementia, due to damage to the blood vessels that leads to constriction and stroke. It's also believed that severe or repeated head injuries may play a role in the development of dementia.

Alzeimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for about half of all cases. In this condition, nerve cells in the brain die, making it difficult for the brain's signals to be transmitted properly. The process occurs slowly, over a period of years or even decades. New medications can slow this nerve cell death, but no cure exists.

Substantial research into the causes, progression and treatment of Alzheimer's is ongoing. A prompt medical evaluation of any suspicious symptoms is in order, since medications that slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease work best the earlier they are prescribed. Plus, there are many treatable medical conditions (such as head injury, depression, chemical imbalances and medication side effects) that can mimic Alzheimer's and dementia, so they need to be ruled out.