While we have all heard about dementia and Alzheimer's disease, not many of us know about Lewy Body Dementia or LBD. While it is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, there is still lot of things that remains unknown to many. LBD is a progressive and often misdiagnosed neurological condition that affects approximately 1.4 million Americans. It is also marked by cognitive and motor symptoms that result from abnormal deposits of alpha-synuclein protein in the brain. Despite its prevalence, however, it is often misdiagnosed and leads patients to see an average of three doctors over the course of two years before they are diagnosed correctly.However, to help you out, we made this guide to navigate you through the early warnings of LBD.What is Lewy Body Dementia?It happens when the abnormal protein deposits known as Lewy bodies and then affect neurotransmitters and brain cell functions. It is divided in two forms:Dementia with Lew bodies: Cognitive symptoms appear either alongside or before movement-related symptomsParkinson's disease dementia: Dementia develops in someone with a prior diagnosis of Parkinson's diseaseThese protein deposits disrupt brain function by interfering with chemical messengers and brain cell connections, leading to cognitive decline, movement issues, and behavioral changes. Recognizing the early symptoms of LBD can be challenging, but timely intervention can significantly improve the quality of life for both patients and caregivers.What Are The 10 Early Warning Signs of LBD?Visual Hallucinations: It happens when you see detailed, vivid visual hallucinations which involves people, animals, or objects. It occurs when a person is alert and aware that the hallucinations are not real.Fluctuating Cognition and Alertness: It happens through dramatic variations in attention, concentration, and mental clarity within short periods. The fluctuations in cognition happen spontaneously, without any external triggers.REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD): It happens when you act out dreams during REM sleep, including movements such as talking, kicking, or even leaving the bed. It can precede LBD symptoms by years or even decades and make it one of the most reliable early warning signs.Parkinsonism: Here, the symptoms are similar to Parkinson's disease, such as muscle rigidity, tremor, and bradykinesia, which is slowness of one's movement.Extreme Sensitivity to Antipsychotic Medicine: You may have severe reaction to antipsychotic drugs, and it could worsen your confusion and sedation.Unexplained Falls and Fainting: You experience sudden, frequent falls or faint without an obvious cause. This could also occur early in the disease and could be linked to autonomic dysfunction which affects blood pressure regulation.Visuospatial Difficulties: This happens when you face difficulty judging distances, navigating spaces, or completing visually-based tasks. It also occurs early and could be more prominent than memory issues.Autonomic Dysfunction: You may face problems with automatic body functions such as blood pressure regulation, temperature control and bladder function.Depression and Anxiety: You have a persistent low mood, apathy, anxiety, and irritability that could appear before other cognitive symptoms.Executive Function Problems: You face difficulty with planning, problem-solving, and organizing daily tasks.
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