Have you ever had the feeling that you can't remember a specific thing and it's driving you crazy? Well, try living with dementia. Dementia is not a disease; it is a group of symptoms caused by another illness, which produces a progressive loss of cognitive functioning (Psychology Today). People often believe that due to old age a person may suffer from dementia, but this is a false accusation. In old age, you may forget some things here and there, but only when the symptoms affect the person's daily life can it be called dementia. The exact cause of dementia is damage to brain cells; this affects how brain cells are able to communicate with each other. When cells are unable to communicate, it usually disrupts thinking, behavior, and feelings. The functioning of synapses or neurons to neurons is dismal, leading to confusion and communication problems. Many factors can damage brain cells, including diseases that cause brain deterioration, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Strokes, nutritional deficiencies, and head injuries can also cause a person to develop dementia. Symptoms of dementia vary widely, but at least two or more mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia. Memory loss and the ability to concentrate and pay close attention are two common symptoms seen in dementia patients. Memory loss is usually the earliest and most noticeable symptom (WebMD 2011). The mechanism that causes dementia is also the mechanism that causes symptoms to appear. Causes and symptoms go hand in hand in dementia. Worldwide, 35.6 million people suffer from dementia and 7.7 million new cases are recorded each year (WHO 2012). There is a lot of time in the story. In conclusion, dementia is the progressive loss of cognitive function. People who suffer from this group of symptoms experience memory loss, disorientation, and fluctuating feelings. The brain of a person with dementia is different in many ways from a healthy brain. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease take a toll on the brain, causing shrinkage and loss of tissue that causes parts of the brain to lose function. Dementia has been divided into 5 stages, from no impairment to severe impairment, as dementia progresses, the affected person becomes very dependent on someone's help. Currently, there is no known treatment for dementia, but research studies are underway to help find one. Dementia isn't just forgetting something from time to time; it is much more serious and dangerous and should be taken seriously if ever found nearby.