A new BBC drama – Care – aims to raise awareness for vascular dementia.
The show, which features Sheridan Smith as Jenny, portrays life after having a stroke, and subsequently developing vascular dementia.
Vascular dementia affects around 150,000 people in the UK, and is rare in people under 65 years old.
It’s caused by a reduced blood flow to the brain. Without enough blood, the brain becomes damaged, and the cells eventually die.
The brain may become starved of blood if you have stroke – where the blood supply to the brain is cut off.
A stroke is usually caused by a blood clot, said the NHS.
A number of ‘mini strokes’ could also lead to widespread damage in the brain, and subsequently vascular dementia.
“Vascular dementia causes problems with mental abilities and a number of other difficulties,” it said.
“The symptoms can come on suddenly or gradually. They tend to get worse over time, although treatment can help slow this down.
“Early signs of vascular dementia can include mild slowness of thought, difficulty with planning, and trouble with understanding.”
The symptoms may be barely noticeable during its early stages, it added.
But the signs do tend to get worse over time – either over a short period of time, or over a number of years.
The NHS added: “The symptoms depend on the part of the brain that’s affected, but can include significant slowness of thought, memory loss, and difficulty finding the right words.”
It can also cause a loss of bladder control, mood swings, and severe personality changes, warned the NHS.
Some patients may also develop similar symptoms to Alzheimer’s disease.
You should speak to a GP if you think you may have early symptoms of dementia.
Spotting the signs early and subsequent treatment could help to stop the dementia from getting worse, or at least slow down its progress.
Those most at risk of vascular dementia are people with high blood pressure and smokers.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing regular exercise could lower your chances of developing the condition.
Everyone should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.