MedLink Neurology. I'm matching you with one of our specialists who will be calling you in the next few minutes. There are three common causes of altered mental status-- all of which are easy to remember since they start with the letter D: Dementia, Delirium, and Depression. Hypothyroidism means the thyroid gland is not producing enough active thyroid hormones, either T3 or T4. [ 2] The good news is that once a mold toxicity diagnosis is made, this can be a very treatable and reversible condition. (2021). (2021, June 16). Seniors facing retirement and health crises often seek new housing in senior retirement communities or assisted living facilities as their situation and health needs change. TBI symptoms typically appear at the time of injury, or soon after, but in some cases, they may not develop for days or weeks. Some of these symptoms include balance problems, fatigue, and impaired thinking and reasoning. Often, these include memory loss, where they forget something that was said recently. However, the presence of dementia-like symptoms doesnt necessarily equal a dementia diagnosis. As a result, drugs and other toxins tend to accumulate in the body. Because most people who get a UTI complain of painful burning urination, possible fever, or lower back pain, this condition often can go un-diagnosed in older people. (Serving water to her father in a shot glass seemed to work, Goyer says.) Is delirium mistaken for dementia? The gradual progression of hypothyroidism can make it hard to distinguish from primary dementia. Anti-Anxiety Medications Is this a sign of early dementia? 116(8), 895-906. If your loved one is taking any of these medications, talk to their doctor to learn if their prescription regimen may be the cause of their memory problems. unlike true dementia, these symptoms may be reversible with treatment for depression," according to VeryWell Health. Cognitive decline in dementia usually means a set of behavioral changes-- sometimes they come quickly and sometimes insidiously. Celiac disease or IBD. An issue with a persons ability to hear or see can reduce their ability to take in information. This means that adopting abrain-healthy dietand lifestyle becomes critical to offset any future dementia risks due to brain injury. This list shows medications that have been shown to cause or are suspected of causing symptoms of dementia. Randell Suba is a former Physiotherapist who returned to his first love, writing. One of them is black mold. Can dementia reverse? Learn . Get an easy-to-understand breakdown of services and fees. Their. They can manifest as memory loss, general sluggishness, a flitting attention span, and depressed or apathetic mood. For every ONE case of celiac disease diagnosed, 6.4 cases of gluten intolerance remain undiagnosedmany with NO obvious GI symptoms at all. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. [3] The most common cause of these reversible dementias were head injuries, with alcohol as a close second. While dementia develops over months or years, those with delirium typically develop symptoms rapidly. Symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus can include the following[14]: Treatment: The treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus involves surgical placement of a hollow tube in the brain to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid into the abdomen where it can be absorbed as a part of the normal circulatory process. What condition could be mistaken for dementia? Other conditions that may cause dementia-like symptoms include thyroid disease, diabetes, hypoglycemia, Lyme disease, heart and lung disease, and respiratory infections. People who possess the MTHFR gene variant (present in 50-70% of population), or who have Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, or problems with their gut microbiome may also be susceptible to B vitamin deficiencies, especially B12 and B9 (folate). Dementia is a syndrome usually of a chronic or progressive nature in which there is deterioration the ability to process thought, beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Symptoms usually disappear after treatment of the original medical condition, coining the termreversible dementia. Depression is also common in the elderly, with approximately 6 million people over age 65 suffering from the condition. The good news is that these cognitive symptoms are largely reversible with the proper thyroid hormone treatment. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency could include the following: Treatment: Dementia-like symptoms are likely to go away when vitamin B12 levels return to normal with a healthy diet or supplementation. Typical dementia symptoms and signs include the following: Sometimes, these dementia signs are also seen in other health conditions due to effects on the brain. I finally got into a Nurse Practitioner who worked for a D.O at a holistic type of clinic. In: Bello VME, Schultz RR. The link was the strongest in women who inherited the APOE4 gene and area more susceptible to Alzheimers disease. Senior Living Frequently Asked Questions About Housing Options. Is anyone else dealing with this? Other things that can cause yeast to grow out of control include: Antibiotics Some of these medications include statins, which are used to treat high cholesterol; acetylcholine blockers, which are often used to treat medical conditions like insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome; benzodiazepines, used to treat anxiety or insomnia; pain medications, such as opioids; corticosteroids, such as prednisone; and chemotherapy, which is used to treat cancer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470344/, Your Immune System: How it Works and Ways to Boost it, To Add Life To Years: Meeting the Emotional Needs of Your Elderly Loved Ones, Heel Spurs: A Potential Cause of Heel Pain, Strength Matters: Recommendations for Physical Activity in Older Adults. Delirium may cause dementia-like symptoms such as confusion, memory problems, and personality changes. It's Not Necessarily Alzheimer's More than 50 conditions can cause or mimic the symptoms of dementia, and a small percentage of dementias are reversible. If someone is clinically depressed, they will exhibit low mood, loss of interest and concentration, and disturbed sleep. Alternatively, if you believe your loved one does have dementia, it is important totrack their dementia symptomsand report these to their doctor so their doctor can properly diagnose them. But cognitive decline can . According to the Harvard Special Health Report Living Better, Living Longer: Taking steps now to ensure a happier, healthier future, a small percentage of dementia cases may be reversible dementia if treatment begins before permanent brain damage occurs. Samuels MH. Most seasonal allergies occur in the spring, summer and fall, but with the warming climate, many seasonal allergies have been extended into longer periods. What is a reversible condition which could be mistaken for dementia? Certain conditions that cause dementia-like symptoms can be treated. Wernicke encephalopathy, which is also characterized by confusion and altered mental status, may look like dementia. Ellison, J. M. (2021, July 15). Dementia: A person's level of alertness is typically not affected until the late stages of Alzheimer's, whereas memory is significantly affected throughout the disease. Other routine Alzheimers diagnostics may include a mental cognitive status test, a neurological exam, depression screen and mood assessment, thyroid tests, metabolic screening, and urinalysis, according to the Alzheimers Association. Other symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, weakness, clumsiness, headache, blurred vision, memory problems, confusion, disorientation, mood swings, slurring of words and dizziness. At worst, they lose the ability to take care of themselves.[1]. Damages nerve cells in a similar way to chronic alcoholism or Alzheimers. Among the different infections, 55% had pneumonia and 27% had urinary tract infections. Indeed, several things can look like dementia. A doctor can then identify the cause by evaluating or ordering the following: Once the cause is identified, doctors may alter your loved ones medications, suggest therapy, or recommend routine changes to help clear up their dementia symptoms. In addition to memory loss and a decline in mental processes (similar to Alzheimer's), NPH typically can causes difficulty walking (like Parkinson's) and urinary incontinence. Delirium may cause dementia-like symptoms such as confusion, memory problems, and personality changes. The bodys inability to correctly absorb B12, a vitamin found in animal products like meat, cheese, eggs and milk, has been linked to neurological disorders. Your loved one may be diagnosed with new conditions, be prone to more infections, and begin to depend on multiple medications. Many frequently prescribed medications have anticholinergic properties or properties that block the effect of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger important for muscle control, learning, memory, and attention. Altered mental status generally refers to the change in cognition or level of consciousness, as we have mentioned earlier. Nirali Desai is a copywriter at A Place for Mom. Early symptoms of a slow-growing brain tumor can often mimic those of dementia. When in doubt, it may be worth seeing if this is an infection in hiding. Get personalized guidance from a dedicated local advisor. Randall has experience managing the care of elderly parents who lived with his family and other relatives with dementia, so he writes in the area of senior living and care with considerable experience. Coping with a Diagnosis. 7 Reversible Health Conditions That Can Mimic Dementia. A sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, can negatively affect a seniors attention and working memory. Available from: Vasan S, Kumar A. Wernicke Encephalopathy. However, its important to note that dementia is not a necessary part of aging. HealthCreeds is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Copyright 2023 A Place for Mom, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hypothyroidism means the thyroid gland is not producing enough active thyroid hormones, either T3 or T4. One theory is that the immune response to celiac disease attacks the brain. They may leave their glasses or dentures in strange places like the fridge. Alzheimers Association. In the literature, the most frequently observed potentially reversible conditions identified in patients with cognitive impairment or dementia are depression, adverse effects of drugs, drug or alcohol abuse, space-occupying lesions, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and metabolic conditions land endocrinal conditions like hypothyroidism and It could be an early sign of Alzheimer'sor it could lead to a misdiagnosis. Gluten reactions and celiac disease are reactions to gluten in wheat, rye, and barley. Delirium refers to a neurocognitive condition where a person becomes confused and cannot fully make sense of their environment. Samuels, M. H. (2015, October 1). This is because low thyroid hormone levels or hypothyroidism can cause cognitive impairments similar to dementia. Candida albicans is a common species of a type of fungus that grows naturally in the human gut, mouth, and vagina. In the later stages of the disease, people with dementia may benefit from care at a memory care community. Signs of extreme dehydration can impact the following: Treatment: Dementia symptoms usually go away when the body is replenished with fluids. The candida in the gut actually lives off of sugar and starches, fermenting it to produce energy. Memory improvement with treatment of hypothyroidism. National Institute of Health. It's estimated that about 50% of people age 85 and older have dementia. Drug-induced dementia. While this is often found in alcoholics, this disease is due to a vitamin deficiency compared to the toxic effects of alcohol itself and, thus, reversible. Yeast overgrowth in the gut can result from a diet high in carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods and gluten. They can also sometimes trigger other symptoms like headaches, seizures, or vomiting. Causes a deficiency in vitamin B1, which plays a critical role in brain function. About 700,000 Americans suffer from this hard-to-diagnose condition because it resembles other brain diseases. Contents hide 1 Characteristics and evaluation of dementia 2 Reversible dementias 2.1 Infection 2.2 Hypothyroidism 2.3 Other conditions 3 References: If you search out dementia online, you're likely to find that it is charact. Our mission is to help seniors stay independent and healthy for as long as possible. 56(5), 240. Weakened immune system Instead, it has a relatively poor prognosis, with 35% of those diagnosed passing on within the first year and 60% within the next five years.[1]. Mold allergies and mold toxicity, however, are two different things and you do not have to be allergic to mold to react negatively to toxins in the mold. While we have mentioned the most common conditions that can mimic dementia, there are still others out there. There are three common causes of altered mental status-- all of which are easy to remember since they start with the letter D: Dementia, Delirium, and Depression. Dementia can manifest in many different ways. Is dementia completely reversible? There are many forms of dementia, including Alzheimers disease. Often, these include memory loss, where they forget something that was said recently. Problems with thinking clearly, loss of memory, brain fog Anti-anxiety and Sleeping-Pill Medications (Benzodiazepines) Lorazepam, Diazepam, Temazepam, Clonazepam. Hi! Trouble walking (also a sign of Alzheimers and Parkinsons) A 2016 study published in JAMA Neurology shows brain imaging that detects how anti-cholinergic drugs impact the brain. Mayo clinic gastroenterologist and celiac disease expert Joseph Murray, MD, says he was surprised that the link was so strong. Thyroid dysfunction has been implicated as a cause of reversible cognitive impairment and as such, the thyroid stimulating hormone has long been part of the screening laboratory test for dementia. Additionally, delirium causes brain fog and fluctuations between drowsiness and alertness, whereas dementia doesnt affect consciousness. It is the brain lesions that could have caused Dementia. Clinicians sometimes misdiagnose it because other conditions mimic dementia. Some of these potential conditions can include the following: Over time, regular, excessive consumption of alcohol can cause memory, orientation, and attention span to deteriorate. A well-known neurologist from Mayo Clinic, Keith Josephs, MD made the connection between gluten and dementia when he examined a patient suspected of having a type of dementia called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The condition has been linked to subtle decline in memory and executive function. However, not everyone who has depression will develop dementia, and vice versa. Doctors often diagnose dementia as a generalized disorder that affects the brain causing memory loss, confusion, personality changes, and even physical manifestations. 3 . Flavoring water with fruit like lemon, or using smaller, less daunting glasses, might help. Parkinson Drugs Women who have passed menopause age are at a higher risk for UTIs because they dont have as much estrogen in their system. Diabetes Toxic mold based illness is actually a very common, but un-diagnosed condition that can show up in many different ways, including serious brain fog, confusion, memory loss and even depression/anxiety. Reversible dementias. A new study, which appears in the journal Nature Communications, shows that this fungal infection can also enter the brain, causing inflammation and impairing memory, much like dementia. Delirium. At worst, they lose the ability to take care of themselves. This impaired thinking may also affect verbal skills. There are several physical illnesses, like infections and vitamin deficiencies, that can mimic the symptoms of dementia. This would include a rather detailed interview with your healthcare provider-- and perhaps a referral to a specialist. Delirium: In delirium, the opposite is true. And, if you look at these results across the general public, that means that air pollution, including high ozone levels, can be responsible for about 21% of dementia cases. However, for some people the decline can . Dementia or delirium can also result from alcohol or drug abuse, so you need to inform the healthcare practitioner if your loved one has a history of drug or alcohol problems, including abuse of over-the-counter medications or prescription drugs. Irreversible dementia causes changes in behavior and personality. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Learn how your comment data is processed. Mike is an avid adventurist and when hes not spending his time skiing, mountain biking, hiking, or paddleboarding on the lake, he has enjoyed skydiving, whitewater rafting, piloting an Italian fighter plane (seriously), scuba diving, heli-skiing, and traveling all around the world, enjoying learning about different cultures. A neurologist must perform brain imaging, blood and urine tests, and psychological assessments, among others, to rule out diseases whose symptoms intersect with the common signs of dementia. After all, dementia has no cure. Some treatments include using natural binders such as charcoal and clay, which trap the toxins and to remove them from the body. This yeast is mostly harmless, but in many people, it can grow out of control, causing a wide range of health issues including thrush (yeast infection in mouth), vaginal yeast infections, bladder infections, toenail fungus, brain fog and confusion. Family history, poor heart health, and having a head injury can also increase ones likelihood. While current data cannot say which causes what, what we have points to a relationship between the two. Sometimes its hard for them to communicate that theres something wrong. Lovering, N. & Wade, Danielle. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She enjoys writing fiction on the side when shes not tending to her plants and three pet turtles. All of these factors may affect their cognitive function, resulting in a potential dementia diagnosis or, in the best case scenario, a reversible form of dementia. Your email address will not be published. It is likely that some cases of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, histamine intolerance, irritable bowel, leaky gut, multiple sclerosis and even Lyme syndrome, can be caused or exacerbated from a chronic inflammatory response caused by toxic mold. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Strong odor to the urine. Estrogen actually tends to help prevent UTIs in younger females. Clarfield, A. M. (2003, October 13). Cloudy or even pink or brown colored urine Other symptoms associated with B vitamin deficiency include: Pins and needs feeling in hands and feet If your loved one has reversible dementia-like conditions, the symptoms can go away, or at least be stabilized, once the cause is determined and addressed. The good news is that these cognitive symptoms are largely reversible with the proper thyroid hormone treatment. 27(1), 26-29. Who hasnt lost a train of thought every once in a while? 4, 225-233. When allergy season strikes, there are healthy alternatives to allergy medications. Dementia and Alzheimers disease are words that strike fear into many of us. This Common Condition Can Easily Be Mistaken for Dementia, Experts Say. If necessary, a doctor may be able to reduce, replace, or eliminate certain medications in order to help reverse dementia-like symptoms. Wernicke encephalopathy, which is also characterized by confusion and altered mental status, may look like dementia. Both are important for a healthy nervous system. These include: Memory loss. In order to reverse these dementia-like symptoms, its important to train your body to have natural, healthy sleep patterns. One out of 8 participants were deficient in B12 and one in 7 deficient in folate, with deficiencies increasing with age. Symptoms associated with dementia may include memory loss, confusion, and disorientation, according to the Mayo Clinic. Staying tuned in to your health and that of your loved ones will help you be aware of any of these reversible conditions, so that you can stop the damage and restore brain health to live a long, healthy and happy life.