Which is worse Alzheimer’s or dementia?

Alzheimer’s and dementia are both distinct and similar. Dementia isn’t a disease but rather a group of symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease causes dementia and is responsible for the majority of cases of dementia reported.

Dementia is often used to describe the loss of memory, difficulty with language, and other thinking abilities that interfere with daily life. Dementia can have many different causes, including but not limited to Alzheimer’s. Other causes of dementia include vascular damage, Lewy body proteins that clump in the brain, and Parkinson’s disease, brain trauma, and Huntington’s disease. No disease or medical condition that results in dementia is easier to have than another; for the sufferer, the challenge of memory loss and other symptoms that interfere with independent living are devastating.

Some conditions that are reversible or treatable can create dementia-like symptoms. These include certain metabolic conditions, nutritional deficiencies, side effects of medications, brain tumors, lack of oxygen to the brain and other organs, and subdural hematomas.

The symptoms of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are very similar. Dementia is also progressive, as is Alzheimer’s.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include:

• Memory loss that interferes with daily living
• Issues planning things or solving problems
• Problems completing familiar chores or tasks
• Confusion about time and place
• The trouble with spatial relationships
• Difficulty finding the correct word
• Losing things without the ability to retrace steps to find them
• Poor judgment
• Social withdrawal
• Changes in mood and personality

Symptoms of dementia can vary depending on the underlying cause, the area of the brain impacted, and the issue affecting the brain. Although these can vary widely, some symptoms include:

• Problems with memory
• Problems with paying bills or keeping track of finances
• Difficulty planning common tasks
• Getting lost outside of familiar spaces and places

Dementia resulting from any condition can be devastating, as is dementia that results from Alzheimer’s disease. If you are struggling with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, contact your doctor. If a loved one is struggling with symptoms of either, contact your doctor or theirs with your concerns and for guidance. You can also contact the Alzheimer’s Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.