Wrong ideas about dementia make it harder to get help and harder to be kind. Here are seven common ones, and what is true.
Myth: Memory loss is just normal aging
Fact: Forgetting now and then is normal. Dementia is different. Brain cells stop working and die, and the changes get in the way of daily life.
Myth: Dementia and Alzheimer’s are the same
Fact: Dementia describes a group of symptoms. Alzheimer’s is one disease that causes them, and the most common one.
Myth: Only old people get it
Fact: Most cases are in older adults, but people in their 30s, 40s and 50s can have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. More than 200,000 people in the United States under 65 are living with it.
Myth: It can only be diagnosed after death
Fact: Doctors can now diagnose it in living people, using memory and thinking tests, brain scans and other tests.
Myth: One food or supplement can prevent it
Fact: No single food or supplement has been shown to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s. Healthy habits overall are what the research supports.
Myth: Nothing can be done
Fact: There is no cure yet. But some newer medicines can slow the disease a little in the early stage, other treatments can ease symptoms, and good care and support make a real difference.
Myth: Memory problems always mean dementia
Fact: Depression, sleep problems, medicine side effects and low vitamin levels can all cause memory trouble, and some of these can be treated. See a doctor to find out.