Testing For Dementia. Does Dementia Run In Your Family?

As age creeps upon us and memory loss becomes more frequent, we believe it to be some form of dementia. Now even though this may be the case, you never will know unless the proper test for dementia is done.

Now, I say proper test because there are many forms of dementia, with Alzheimer’s being the leading cause. But there are some symptoms of dementia that are reversible if caught early. For example, did you know depression can be a form of dementia. When we think of depression, it really doesn’t cross our mind that it could give symptoms of dementia or short term memory loss.  Now with early intervention this can be effectively treated and even reversed. So it’s very important that when tested we get the right diagnosis in order to get the right medication.

So, when is the right time to get tested for dementia? I ask this question because through research I have found that a person can have dementia 20 years before the first symptom ever show up. That means brain cells are being damaged or dying slowly every year due to some form of dementia. Since there is no cure for these symptoms would it benefit us to know at age 40 instead of when we get our first symptom around 60?

Alzheimer’s Disease, which is the leading cause of dementia, runs heavy in my family on my father side. My father, his dad(my grandfather), and three of his brothers all had Alzheimer’s Disease. I was the caregiver to both my father and my grandfather, so I witnessed  first hand the destruction of it as it slowly took away their abilities to function.

Now I’m at the point wondering if I could be next. Since doctors can see if brain cells are being damaged or dying due to some form of dementia, would it benefit me to know about it 15-20 years before any symptoms may appear.

Doctors believe that knowing before hand could cause more damage to a person. Stress and depression are factors they believe could hurt a person .Even though this may be right, isn’t it our right to know? Now I know they wouldn’t be able to treat anything until they are sure which dementia you have, so I’m not writing this blog for the medical aspect, but wondering from those who have witness this disease first hand, would you like to know this is coming down the road years before the first symptom ever appear.

I want to be tested in the next couple years and maybe every three years after that to see if I’m developing this condition. I would like to know the opinions of those close to this disease, so please leave a comment below.