Dementia Is The UK's Leading Cause Of Death, But How Does It Actually Kill?

Model of a brainDementia has been the leading cause of death in England and Wales for years now, with Dementia UK adding that more people die from dementia in the UK overall than of any other condition.Still, a 2017 YouGov poll found that roughly half of us have no idea that dementia, which kills about 55 million people worldwide, can be a direct cause of death. That means the dementia itself leads to their death. So, we spoke to Simon Wheeler, Senior Knowledge Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, about how dementia actually kills. “Dementia is a terminal condition”Speaking to HuffPost UK, Wheeler explains: “Around 1 in 3 people born today will develop dementia. It’s the UK’s biggest killer, but many people don’t understand why.“It shortens a person’s life by several years if they are already old, and potentially by several decades if they have young-onset dementia,” he continues.One of the ways it does this is by diminishing a person’s ability to perform the essential skills and bodily functions that are needed to stay well. “At first, these changes are mainly cognitive – for example, not remembering to take medicines or not being able to react to dangers around the house or outside,” Wheeler tells us. “If they need surgery for other health problems, their dementia can make these procedures more challenging and recovery more difficult. This is why people with dementia tend to have much worse outcomes when they have to go to hospital.” The later stages of dementia have more physical effects “As the condition progresses to its later stages, its effects become more physical as the parts of the brain involved in eating, swallowing, moving, and communicating become severely damaged,” the expert adds. That’s when people with dementia tend to notice physical, as well as cognitive, changes.“They become increasingly frail,” Wheeler explains. “Injuries and infections become more difficult to recover from. Eventually, an illness or other event happens that they can’t recover from and this is what ultimately causes the person to die.“There is the near cause of death, such as pneumonia, and then there is the underlying condition that has resulted in the person being in such a frail and vulnerable condition – this is what dementia does.” Early intervention still matters More than half of those with suspected dementia wait for over a year to get a diagnosis. But the NHS says that’s not ideal, because “an accurate early, or timely, diagnosis of dementia can have many benefits.” These include getting the right support, getting access to treatments that can make your symptoms easier to manage and slow down the progress of the disease, and giving you more time to plan. If you’re worried about yourself or someone close to you, speak to your GP.You can also check your symptoms using Alzheimer’s Society’s symptom checklist or call the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.Related...Can A Hand Exercise Really Help Prevent Dementia? I Asked ExpertsThis May Be The Most Important Age To Increase Exercise For Dementia Prevention5 Dementia Risk Factors A Surgeon Says Too Many Of Us Ignore

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