What are the causes of dementia?

What are the causes of dementia?

Dementia is caused by damage to your brain. Dementia affects your brain’s nerve cells, which destroys your brain’s ability to communicate with its various areas. Dementia can also result from blocked blood flow to your brain, depriving it of needed oxygen and nutrients. Without oxygen and nutrients, brain tissue dies.

Damage to your brain results in different symptoms, depending on the area of your brain affected. Some dementias aren’t reversible and will worsen over time. Other dementias are due to other medical conditions that also affect your brain. Another group of health issues can result in dementia-like symptoms. Many of these conditions are treatable, and the dementia symptoms are reversible.

All of the possible causes of dementia are discussed in the question, “Are there different types of dementia?”