Can A Stroke Cause Dementia

Is There Medication For Post

While there are no medications designed specifically for vascular dementia, some drugs used on individuals with Alzheimers disease have shown promise. Alzheimers is a form of dementia, and thus shares many characteristics with vascular dementia.

One drug that may prove useful for stroke survivors is memantine. Memantine, also known as Namenda, is used to treat the effects of Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. It does not cure these disorders, but it can slow their progression and improve certain cognitive skills such as memory and awareness.

However, memantine seems to have more effect in the early stages of vascular dementia, in that it slows down the progression. Therefore, if the patients dementia is advanced, this drug may not be as useful. Talk to your physician for more information on the benefits and risks of memantine for post-stroke dementia.

What Is The Risk Of Vascular Dementia After Stroke

Vascular dementia could be caused by a stroke or other conditions that impact the supply of blood in the brain, such as poor circulation.

A persons risk of post-stroke dementia increases with the number of strokes they experience. For example, a large study of over 5,000 stroke survivors found that the rate of vascular dementia was around 9% in those who had only suffered one stroke. In those who had experienced more than one stroke, however, the rate increased to 25%. The risk of vascular dementia also increases with age.

Because a stroke is a vascular disease that impacts the arteries, the same factors that increase the risk of stroke also increase the risk of vascular dementia. This means that conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol all increase the risk of vascular dementia.

Not all strokes cause vascular dementia, though. Every stroke is different and every person experiences different effects following a stroke. For example, a massive stroke may cause paralysis while very mild strokes may not cause any noticeable secondary effects at all.

However, just because a person does not experience many effects after a stroke does not mean they wont develop vascular dementia. The best way to reduce the risk of vascular dementia is to improve the health of your arteries and blood flow by managing any vascular diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Post

Each area of the brain controls different functions. Therefore, the symptoms of vascular dementia vary between individuals depending on how the brain has been affected.

Some symptoms of vascular dementia can include:

• Confusion
• Depression
• Rapid mood swings

Its important to note that some of these symptoms alone, such as mood swings, do not necessarily signify the presence of post-stroke dementia. Many of these symptoms, when occurring alone, are common cognitive effects of a stroke. However, when many cognitive effects occur together, a doctor may diagnose it as vascular dementia.

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Key Points About Vascular Dementia

• Vascular dementia is a disorder characterized by damaged brain tissue due to a lack of blood flow. Causes can include blood clots, ruptured blood vessels, or narrowing or hardening of blood vessels that supply the brain.
• Symptoms can include problems with memory and concentration, confusion, changes in personality and behavior, loss of speech and language skills, and sometimes physical symptoms such as weakness or tremors.
• Vascular dementia tends to progress over time. Treatments can’t cure the disease, but lifestyle changes and medicines to treat underlying causes might help slow its progress.
• Surgical procedures to improve blood flow to the brain can also be helpful. Other medicines might slow the progression of dementia or help with some of the symptoms it can cause.
• A person;with;vascular dementia may eventually need full-time nursing care or to stay in a long-term care facility.

Treatments For Vascular Dementia

There’s currently;no cure for vascular dementia and there’s no way to reverse any loss of brain cells that happened before;the condition;was diagnosed.

But treatment can sometimes help slow down vascular dementia.

Treatment aims to tackle the underlying cause, which;may reduce the speed at which brain cells are lost.

This will often involve:

• taking medicines, such as those used to treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol;or prevent;blood clots

Other treatments,;including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dementia activities and;psychological therapies,;can;help reduce the impact of any existing problems.

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Causes Of Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, which damages and eventually kills brain cells.;

This can;happen as a result of:

• narrowing and blockage of;the small blood vessels inside the brain
• a single;stroke, where the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly cut off
• lots of “mini strokes” that cause tiny but widespread damage to the brain

In many cases, these problems are linked to underlying conditions, such as;high blood pressure and;diabetes,;and;lifestyle factors, such as smoking and being overweight.

Tackling these might reduce your risk of vascular dementia in later life, although;it’s not yet clear exactly how much your risk of dementia can be reduced.

Can A Stroke Cause Dementia

Vascular dementia can occur after a stroke or series of strokes. In these cases it may be easy to connect any changes in memory and thinking to a specific stroke and to the location of damaged brain tissue.

More often, however, vascular dementia progresses over time, and it is impossible to connect symptoms to a stroke or any particular point in time.

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Small Vessel Disease And Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Vascular dementia can also be caused by small vessel disease. This is when the small blood vessels deep within your brain become narrow and clogged up. The damage stops blood from getting to parts of your brain. The damage can build up over time and may cause signs of vascular cognitive impairment. This can eventually lead to vascular dementia.

Many of the things that increase your risk of small vessel disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, also increase your risk of stroke.;

You can read more about how to reduce your risk of stroke and small vessel disease.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers

Im Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. When someone suffers a stroke, this might lead to dementia. If you have suffered a stroke or mental health problems following an injury due to the negligence of another person or entity, please reach out to me at and/or to receive free, friendly legal guidance and advice.

Im honored to be a member of the;Million Dollar Advocates Forum as well as in the;Top;One;Percent. This is a selective National Association of Distinguished Counsel. The legal professionals in our group have worked to achieve verdicts & have negotiated case settlements valued in excess of $1 million.

Feel free to look over a handful of our;verdicts and/or settlements;saved at this address.

All are invited to swing by;Avvo;and Yelp, as well as;, to review some of my earlier comments written by my clients.

Citation of Photograph: The image used at the top of this article was uncovered first on Pixabay. It has been printed here using the guidance of the Creative Commons License.

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In Addition To Dementia And Stroke Does Excessive Consumption Of Coffee Lead To Other Imbalances

In another study, which made use of over 300,000 participants at the British Biobank, researchers examined the connections between the habitual consumption of genetically instrumented coffee and a full range of diseases, finding that too much coffee can increase the risk of osteoarthritis, arthropathy and obesity.

In previous research conducted by Professor Hyppönen and his team, six cups of coffee a day were considered the upper limit for safe consumption. The expert genetic epidemiologist, la Professor Elina Hyppönen dellUniSA, in this regard, he explained that understanding the risks associated with the habitual intake of coffee could have very large implications for the health of the population.

Globally, we drink about three billion cups of coffee every day, so it makes sense to explore the pros and cons of this on our health., Professor Hyppönen said, Typically, the effects of coffee consumption are studied using a observational approach, in which comparisons are made with non-coffee drinkers. But this can deliver results misleading .

Dementia and stroke: a genetic approach to the study of coffee consumption

Professor Hyppönen states that the prevalence of these conditions in Australia and around the world shows how important it is to determine the possible causes and factors affecting diseases: Excessive coffee consumption can lead to an increased risk of some diseases, Afferma il Professor Hyppönen.

The Team To Choose For In

Having to leave the house and travel to an emergency room or medical providers office can be especially challenging for individuals who have experienced a stroke. In addition to the symptoms of vascular dementia listed above, strokes can cause a number of other long-term issues like paralysis and spasticity , which can make seeking medical treatment outside the home particularly difficult.

Fortunately, if youre living with the effects of a stroke or with the symptoms of dementia, you can turn to DispatchHealth for exceptional at-home care. As a leading provider of mobile healthcare services, were pleased to offer treatment for a wide array of illnesses and injuriesin fact, we can treat almost everything that an ER can, and all from the comfort of your own home. Whats more, our services cost about the same as an urgent care clinic visit and a mere fraction of what you could expect to pay for an ER visit, and we accept most major insurance plans , with most patients paying about $5 to $50 after insurance. And for patients who dont have insurance at the moment, we also offer a $275 flat rate.

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What To Do After A Tia

If you suspect that your older adult has had a mini stroke, take them to a hospital immediately and describe all the symptoms they experienced.

To reduce the risk of a major stroke in the near future, doctors may recommend medication to prevent blood clots from forming or to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease. Depending on the situation, surgery could also be recommended.

In the longer term, help your older adult lower their stroke and vascular dementia risk by improving their lifestyle.

A healthy lifestyle means not smoking, not drinking too much, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.

It is also important to keep other health conditions under control, especially high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Stroke Vs Dementia: Differences Based On Their Symptoms

With stroke, the foremost presenting symptoms would be face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty. A number of stroke symptoms such as severe headache, sudden numbness, issues with vision like involuntary eye movements or double vision, trouble with balance or coordination, may present itself in combination with the foremost presenting symptoms.

Dementia is a longstanding issue. The symptoms of dementia present itself as forgetfulness, anger, agitation without cause, or dementia may be caused due to Alzheimers disease. Dementia is basically a broad term used for declining mental function and can present itself in the form of difficulty performing daily tasks, difficulty remembering things difficulty communicating and reasoning, difficulty with complex tasks, and/or difficulty being organized.

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The Link Between Stroke And Dementia

Vascular dementia is a common type of dementia which is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. When you have a stroke, the supply of blood to the brain is restricted or stopped, which begins killing brain cells. A stroke can lead to brain injury or difficulty with thinking and memory, and for many people, these effects improve gradually over time. However, if the symptoms do not improve or get worse, this can be a sign of vascular dementia.

Vascular dementia can be caused by:

• A stroke known as post-stroke dementia or single-infarct dementia
• A series of mini strokes known as multi-infarct dementia
• The narrowing of small blood vessels deep inside the brain known as subcortical vascular dementia

There are several factors that increase the risk of a stroke, such as consuming large quantities of alcohol, an unhealthy diet, not doing any exercise, high cholesterol, high blood-pressure and diabetes. By making changes to your lifestyle, such as eating a balanced diet, doing more exercise and treating your long-term health conditions, you may reduce the risk of experiencing a stroke and, subsequently, vascular dementia.

Lifestyle Changes To Improve Vascular Dementia Symptoms

A diagnosis of dementia is scary. But its important to remember that many people with dementia can lead healthy, fulfilling lives for years after the diagnosis. Dont give up on life! As much as possible, continue to look after your physical and emotional health, do the things you love to do, and spend time with family and friends.

The same strategies used to keep your brain healthy as you age and prevent the onset of dementia can also be used to improve symptoms.

Find new ways to get moving. Research suggests that even a leisurely 30-minute walk every day may reduce the risk of vascular dementia and help slow its progression. Regular exercise can also help control your weight, relieve stress, and boost your overall health and happiness.

Create a network of support. Seeking help and encouragement from friends, family, health care experts, and support groups can improve your outlook and your health. And its never to late to make new friends and expand your network.

Eat for heart health. Heart disease and stroke share many of the same risk factors, such as high LDL cholesterol , low HDL cholesterol , and high blood pressure. Adopting a heart-healthy diet may help to improve or slow down your dementia symptoms.

Make it a point to have more fun.Laughing, playing, and enjoying yourself are great ways to reduce stress and worry. Joy can energize you and inspire lifestyle changes that may prevent further strokes and compensate for memory and cognitive losses.

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Other Potential Pharmacological Interventions

Many therapeutic strategies have been developed for neuroprotection in acute stoke. Nitric oxide donors are thought to reduce infarct size and improve cerebral blood flow, but did not improve cognitive function post-stroke . Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine may have a beneficial effect on cognition in patients with mild to moderate vascular dementia in general , but evidence for both general improvement are limited. Cerebrolysin had a beneficial effect on global outcome, but did not assess cognition, especially in stroke patients . Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be associated with overall recovery after stroke even in the absence of depression . Fluoxetine is proposed to improve stroke recovery, and there is an ongoing trial that includes cognition as an outcome . The dietary nucleotide citicoline may also improve recovery . There are ongoing studies to explore the potential positive effect of phosphodiesterase-3, anti-inflammatory agents, BBB modulators, endothelin antagonist, flavonoids, immunosuppressive agents, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma antagonists, prostacylin, sympathomimetics, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, antidepressants, neurotrophic agents, gingko biloba extract Egb-761, and others .

Tia Stroke Symptoms And Causes

During a mini stroke, the blood supply to the brain is briefly blocked. Its basically a stroke that only lasts for a few minutes.

Symptoms of a TIA are like typical stroke symptoms, but dont last as long. Most symptoms disappear within an hour, but could last for up to 24 hours.

You wont be able to tell if these symptoms are from a TIA or a major stroke, so if your older adult has these symptoms, immediately call 911 or go to the emergency room.

Symptoms happen suddenly and include:

• Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
• Confusion, trouble speaking, difficulty understanding speech
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Difficulty walking
• Problems with balance or coordination
• An abnormal sense of taste or smell

A TIA is usually caused by low blood flow at a narrow part of a major artery that carries blood to the brain, like the carotid artery.

It could also be caused by a blood clot that travels to the brain and blocks a blood vessel there.

A third common cause is the narrowing of smaller blood vessels in the brain. That blocks blood flow for a short period of time often caused by plaque build-up.

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Vascular Dementia Signs And Symptoms

Vascular dementia affects different people in different ways and the speed of the progression also varies from person to person. Some symptoms may be similar to those of other types of dementia and usually reflect increasing difficulty to perform everyday activities like eating, dressing, or shopping.

Behavioral and physical symptoms can come on dramatically or very gradually, although it appears that a prolonged period of TIAsthe mini-strokes discussed aboveleads to a gradual decline in memory, whereas a bigger stroke can produce profound symptoms immediately. Regardless of the rate of appearance, vascular dementia typically progresses in a stepwise fashion, where lapses in memory and reasoning abilities are followed by periods of stability, only to give way to further decline.

What Is The Outlook For Stroke

At this time, there is no known cure for vascular dementia. While treatment can stop or slow the worsening of symptoms, or even improve them in some cases, the damage done to the brain by a stroke cannot be reversed.

As dementia progresses, behavior problems usually become more severe. Troubling behaviors like agitation, aggression, wandering, sleep disorders, and inappropriate sexual behavior may become unmanageable. The physical demands of caregiving, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding, and assisting with using the toilet, may become overwhelming for family members. Under these conditions, the family may decide to place the person in a nursing home or similar facility.

Vascular dementia appears to shorten life expectancy. The most common causes of death are complications of dementia and cardiovascular disease.

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