5 myths about dementia, debunked

Dementia, which affects memory loss and thinking, is not a stranger to many people.

Apart from having a lot of movies and TV shows promoting dementia awareness, there is someone in the world developing dementia every three seconds.  

By the year 2050, there will be about 150 million people diagnosed with dementia, the World Health Organization reported.

At ManilaMed Medical Center's press briefing on brain health Tuesday, neurologist and dementia specialist Dr. Veeda Michelle Anlacan said dementia remains one of the most misunderstood illnesses.

Photo by Steven HWG on Unsplash

Allow us to set the record straight.

Myth #1: Dementia refers to a single disease 

Actually, dementia is an "umbrella term" for diseases related to memory loss or thinking, Anlacan clarifies.

The Alzheimer's Association describes it as "an overall term for 'diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking skills that affect a person's ability to perform everyday activities." 

Myth # 2: Being forgetful is a sign of dementia

No it is not. Anlacan said instances of forgetfulness — like misplacing your keys or experiencing a difficult time remembering names — are normal and they do not point to having dementia.

"As long as it has no major impact in your life...You are still very much functional. As we age, we may have occasional memory lapses. We may have difficulties recalling certain events," she said.

What you should look out for is experiencing memory loss that disrupts one's daily life. 

Here are some symptoms that point to a possible dementia diagnosis: difficulty in planning or solving problems, difficulty in computing money, confusion in understanding visual images, and trouble in writing and speaking.

Myth # 3: Only the elderly can get dementia

While the elderly are more prone to getting dementia yes, young people can also be diagnosed with it.

According to Anlacan, "Young people can also get dementia but this is not common and always warrants full evaluation and diagnostics." 

"Dementia in young people is often due to insults to the brain such as accidents involving head trauma and also stroke," she adds.

Dementia can affect people of any age — especially if they have vascular risk factors that they cannot control.

Myth # 4: Dementia can be prevented by taking pills and supplements

Anlacan explained that there are no pills and supplements that can prevent dementia. In fact, there are some medications that can aggravate the risk.

According to the neurologist, those who take sleeping pills, maintenance allergy pills, high-dose muscle relaxants and pain killers have a higher risk of getting dementia.

Myth # 5: There is a cure for dementia

"You have to control your vascular risk factors which are: hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, alcohol and poor sleep. If you [can] control them, you prevent stroke too," Anlacan said, adding that the prevention for dementia was similar to those for stroke.

Sadly, there is still no cure yet for dementia, according to Alzheimer's Association. But it can be prevented early on.

RELATED: Healthy living may help offset genetic risk of dementia — study

Other ways to prevent dementia include: being physically active, eating a low glycemic index diet with low salt and meat content, challenging one's brain, and engaging in social activities. — LA, GMA News