Alzheimer's

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 Dementia is not only about memory loss. It can also affect the way you speak, think, feel and behave.

It's also important to remember that dementia is not a natural part of ageing.

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related  symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.  There are many different causes of dementia, and many different types. 

People often get confused about the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia and, together with vascular dementia, makes up the majority of cases.

(NHS Website)

 Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that  affects around 50 million people worldwide. It is characterized by  recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement  that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body  (generalized) and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and  control of bowel or bladder function.

Seizure episodes are a  result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells.  Different parts of the brain can be the site of such discharges.  Seizures can vary from the briefest lapses of attention or muscle jerks  to severe and prolonged convulsions. Seizures can also vary in  frequency, from less than one per year to several per day.

One  seizure does not signify epilepsy (up to 10% of people worldwide have  one seizure during their lifetime). Epilepsy is defined as having two or  more unprovoked seizures. Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest  recognized conditions, with written records dating back to 4000 BCE.  Fear, misunderstanding, discrimination and social stigma have surrounded  epilepsy for centuries. This stigma continues in many countries today  and can impact on the quality of life for people with the disease and  their families.

(World Health Organisation Website)

 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused  by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known  difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known.  Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together  to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to  learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.

People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways  that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about  how they look that sets them apart from other people.  The abilities of  people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with  ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be  nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives;  others can work and live with little to no support.

(World Health Organisation Website)

Pressure sores are wounds that develop when constant pressure or  friction on one area of the body damages the skin. Constant pressure on  an area of skin stops blood from flowing normally, so the cells die, and  the skin breaks down.

Other names for pressure sores are bedsores, pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers. 

(NHS Website)

Topic eczema causes the skin to become itchy, dry, cracked and sore.

Some people only have small patches of dry skin, but others may experience widespread inflamed skin all over the body.

Inflamed  skin can look red on white skin, and darker brown, purple or grey on  brown and black skin. This means it may also be more difficult to see on  brown and black skin.

Although atopic  eczema can affect any part of the body, it most often affects the hands  in adults, and the inside of the elbows, backs of the knees and the face  and scalp in children. It may also affect the outside of elbows and  front of knees in children with brown and black skin.

People  with atopic eczema usually have periods when symptoms are less  noticeable, as well as periods when symptoms become more severe  (flare-ups).

(NHS Website)