A disease such as sclerosis usually appears in older people, but sometimes it occurs in young people. The disease is a cause of stroke and senile dementia, as well as death. Therefore, timely diagnosis is required when the first symptoms appear, as well as effective treatment. The treatment of brain sclerosis is described in the article.
What it is?
This pathology is a chronic problem in which cerebral circulation is disturbed. On the inside of the vessels, cholesterol is deposited. Plaques appear that interfere with the normal flow of blood. Gradually, there is a decrease in the elasticity of vascular tissue, a slowdown in blood flow, due to which there is a lack of nutrients and oxygen.
Under these conditions, the brain cannot work at full strength. With progression, there are risks of stroke, blood clots. Pathology may have a single character. It also manifests itself as discirculatory encephalopathy with different foci of vascular lesions.
Disease development
According to scientists, pathology begins with a violation of the internal wall of the artery. Elements accumulate in the damaged wall, connective tissue fibers, lipids are added to them. After some time, a center is formed in the center of the plaque, including lipoproteins and cholesterol breakdown products.
With the formation of plaque, an inflammatory reaction is observed. Damaged endothelial cells produce components that stimulate immune responses. Immunity cells accumulate in the vessel wall, which increases the size of the plaque. The wall of the artery becomes thinner and denser. Smooth muscle cells enlarge and a dense fibrous plaque appears.
Due to this process, a lack of blood supply to the tissue appears. So trophism is disturbed and necrosis of brain tissue occurs. If the examination and treatment of blood vessels is not performed, the pathology leads to tragic consequences. Sometimes the plaque coating breaks and the contents are released. So there is a cerebral infarction (stroke).
Causes
Sclerosis of the brain appears from vascular contamination with cholesterol and narrowing of the lumens. Most often, the disease develops in the elderly. This usually happens:
- with obesity;
- malnutrition;
- lack of physical activity;
- hypertension
- smoking, alcoholism;
- diabetes mellitus.
There may be a genetic predisposition to brain sclerosis. It is advisable for people with these problems to undergo an examination every year, which will help to identify an ailment at an early stage.
Signs
Symptoms of brain sclerosis depend on the form of the disease. In acute, severe signs are observed, and in chronic - smoothed. Symptoms of brain sclerosis are manifested in the form of:
- sleep disturbances;
- regular headaches in the form of migraine;
- causeless heat;
- memory impairment, decreased attention;
- depression, anxiety, irritability;
- asymmetry of the face;
- impaired speech and visual function, tinnitus;
- unsteady gait;
- impaired coordination of movements.
For any signs, you need the right treatment. Symptoms of sclerosis of cerebral vessels can occur in the form of damage to the vessels of the intestines, kidneys, legs and other organs. Still signs may vary depending on the stage:
- At the 1st stage, emotional instability, impaired attention and memory, weakness, sleep disturbance, dizziness, noise in the ear canals are observed. 90% of patients have headaches that increase with physical or mental stress.
- At the 2nd stage, mental changes occur. The patient forgets the events of yesterday, but can recall the facts of many years ago. There is a decrease in intelligence, professional skills disappear. It is difficult for a person to comprehend the text read.
- At the 3rd stage, a person forgets the family, the main dates, becomes professionally unsuitable. Due to the lack of treatment for brain sclerosis, dementia, heart attack or stroke appears.
Therefore, it is important to identify the ailment as early as possible. After this, treatment of cerebral sclerosis can begin. Symptoms then will not only disappear, but there will be a noticeable improvement in well-being.
Kinds
The following types of ailment are found:
- Multiple sclerosis of the brain involves inflammation of the nervous system when myelin is destroyed. The lesion area is rapidly increasing, so you can not do without medical assistance. If untreated, foci of multiple sclerosis in the brain quickly spread. This disease is incurable, but with timely treatment it will be possible to stop the development of the disease.
- Senile. This is an age-related disease when nerve cells die, which is why memory problems appear. The disease often occurs in the elderly and proceeds at different speeds, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the person.
- Tuberous sclerosis of the brain develops due to failures in the nervous system. At the initial stage, age spots appear on open areas of the body. The disease develops rapidly, leads to the destruction of tooth enamel, the formation of benign formations on the soft tissues and internal organs. This disease is rare and inherited. At risk are children under 1 year old.
- Side. In this case, the changes relate to motor neurons of the central part and the periphery of the nervous system. There is an increasing muscle weakness.
- Cerebral vessels. This is a common pathology that affects the circulatory system. In the vessels of the brain there are lipid deposits, which can be single and multiple.
Multiple sclerosis is usually observed in women living in cold regions. With any form of the disease, timely treatment is necessary, which begins after the diagnostic measures.
Diagnostics
Confirm the presence of brain sclerosis will be possible only with the help of clinical tests and hardware techniques. But provincial medical facilities usually do not have the right equipment. Therefore, there the diagnosis is made only by the clinical picture.
If there is a risk of atherosclerosis, pressure control is required. With an overestimated rate, a thorough diagnosis is needed. The main methods of diagnosis include:
- Blood analysis. Detects an increase in cholesterol concentration, including at an early stage.
- Angiography. This method is used with full confidence in the presence of an ailment. Thanks to the contrast agent, the state of the vascular tissues and the narrowing of the lumens are evaluated.
- Tomography. The study allows you to study blood vessels and identify foci of sclerosis in the brain.
Only a clinical blood test can not determine the presence of pathology. In many patients, cholesterol is normal.
Treatment
How to treat brain sclerosis? Therapy is performed in several ways. Effectively operates using:
- pharmacological agents for sclerosis;
- special menu;
- folk methods;
- sparing physical activity;
- physiotherapy;
- surgical intervention.
How to treat cerebral sclerosis, the doctor must decide. The techniques are applied comprehensively. At an early stage, nutritional correction and preventive measures are needed.
Diet
At any stage of the disease, an appropriate diet is needed. You should not eat foods saturated with fats. It is important to exclude smoked meats, pickles, marinades, fried foods.
It is necessary to eat:
- fruits, vegetables, herbs;
- sea ​​fish;
- linseed and olive oil;
- nuts
- eggs
- cereals and legumes.
It is advisable to use natural juices: pumpkin, beetroot, cabbage, carrot. Useful green tea. An empty stomach should drink a glass of hot water.
Still to eliminate sclerosis, you need a good rest and sleep. It is important to exclude unrest and overwork. Follow the doctor's recommendations.
Medicines
The doctor may prescribe medications:
- To lower cholesterol. This is Atoris, Lovastatin, Simvastatin. Drugs protect against the risk of stroke. Aids are vitamin complexes, nicotinic and thioctic acids.
- Reduce the viscosity of blood allows Warfarin, Aspirin, Cardiomagnyl.
- Nutrition of brain tissues is improved with the help of such means as “Fezam”, “Nootropil”, “Cavinton”.
- Normalize blood pressure allows "Liprazid", "Valsacor", "Bisoprolol."
At home, funds are taken in the form of tablets, and in the hospital they are administered dropwise. But using drugs is not worth it.
Physiotherapy
This treatment eliminates headaches, stimulates the metabolism in the brain, improves sleep. Used balneotherapy and magnetic therapy, massage treatments. Thanks to regular exercises, blood pressure normalizes and blood circulation in the brain improves. They also cheer up.
Physical activity
It is necessary to control physical activity. The doctor must choose the dosage and individual degree of load. Effectively running, walking, gymnastics, bicycle. It is advisable that the procedures take place in the fresh air.
Homeopathy
The goal of this treatment is to suppress the process of atherosclerosis in a natural way without side effects. The effect of homeopathic remedies is based on the use of microscopic doses of those components, which in large quantities can lead to the appearance of symptoms similar to signs of the disease.
Of the homeopathic remedies, the following are the best:
- "Golden iodine." The tool is presented in the form of homeopathic granules, the basis of which is gold iodide and barium carbonate. The medication normalizes cerebral circulation.
- "Cholesterol." The drug is used for high cholesterol. Created from natural plant extracts.
- "Krategus". A medicine in the form of tincture of hawthorn reduces pressure, activates blood circulation in the brain. With it, the concentration of cholesterol is normalized, the excitability of the central nervous system decreases.
Since homeopathy is considered a type of alternative medicine, only the attending physician should prescribe the drugs. Self-medication can adversely affect human health.
Operation
Surgical treatment is used when there is a threat of a blood clot. 2 types of treatment are used:
- Open surgery is used to damage the cervical arteries. If the focus is located deep in the tissues, even with trepanation of the skull, it is rarely possible to get to the problem place.
- An endovascular procedure helps to install a stent in a large vessel. Penetration into the lumen is performed, which is inserted into the arterial vessel.
Surgery is prohibited in old age. It is difficult for the body to withstand these loads. The decision to perform the operation must be made by the doctor.
Folk methods
Alternative treatment for brain sclerosis can reduce symptoms and slow down the process at the initial stage of the disease. The following recipes are used:
- Clove eliminates dizziness, improves hearing and vision. It will take 25 g of raw material, which is poured with vodka (500 ml). Added sugar (500 g), lemons (4 pcs.), Mashed with peel. The product is kept in a glass container in closed form for 2 weeks. You need to take 15 minutes before meals, 3 times a day. It will take 3 courses.
- Garlic and honey are effective for sclerosis. It is necessary to grind 250 g of cloves and mix with a natural beekeeping product (350 g). The container is tightly closed and left in an unlit place for 7 days. The drug is taken for 1 tsp. three times a day, before meals.
- Garlic and lemon have firming properties. Garlic gruel (300 g) is mixed with citrus juice (3 pcs.). The neck of the container must be tied with gauze. The infusion is left in a cool place. Every day you need to drink 1 tsp. means, diluting 200 ml of water. After a 2-week treatment, performance increases.
- It is necessary to grind the rose hips and place them on 2/3 of the container. Medical alcohol is added. The product is aged 14 days in an unlit place. Every day, you need to dissolve a piece of refined sugar, on which 20 drops of tincture are placed.
- To cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol plaques, Japanese sophora is used. It is necessary to fill in 50 g of raw materials with 500 ml of vodka. You need to take 1 tsp. 3 times during the day. If you can’t drink alcohol even in small quantities, the product is brewed in the form of tea. 1 cup boiling water requires 1 tsp. Sophora. Withstand 1 day in a thermos. You need to take 2 tbsp. l twice a day.
Before using folk remedies, it is important to check the allergic reaction to plant components. These recipes are often used in complex therapy.
Effects
With advanced sclerosis, serious complications are likely:
- Attention and memory are reduced. A person is not able to perform the usual actions, navigate in space, he can get lost even on a familiar street.
- With memory loss, dementia develops. Typically, such complications appear in old age. A person is not able to understand the consequences of his actions, intelligence is reduced.
- The danger is stroke and thrombosis, which takes a long time to recover.
Prevention
Since the disease is easier to prevent than to treat, it is better to do prevention. It consists of:
- in a balanced diet;
- giving up bad habits;
- active lifestyle;
- maintaining normal pressure;
- elimination of stresses, overwork - physical and mental;
- high-quality sleep and good rest;
- regular memory training.
Thus, brain sclerosis is treated in various ways. In this case, an integrated approach is required. With timely treatment, it will turn out to prevent the progression of the disease.