how do people die from dementia

People die from dementia mainly due to complications that arise as the disease progresses and affects crucial bodily functions. Dementia progressively damages brain cells, impairing memory, thinking, communication, and eventually basic bodily functions such as breathing, swallowing, and circulation. The brain damage can lead to difficulty in swallowing, causing aspiration pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death in people with dementia. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when food or liquid is inhaled into the lungs, leading to severe lung infections. Other causes include infections such as urinary tract infections, falls leading to fractures, stroke, heart disease, and malnutrition. In the final stages, dementia can also cause the brain to lose control over essential autonomic functions, leading to respiratory failure or heart problems. Thus, people with dementia often die from infections like pneumonia, complications from immobility, or organ failure due to the widespread brain damage caused by the disease.