When the first symptoms of dementia appear, it is taken by loved ones as a sentence. No one is safe from this disaster. The disease is also called "dementia", which sounds somehow ugly, and "insanity," which is generally murderous. Symptoms of dementia are a problem in which you need to sound the alarm, because only in Russia the number of patients reaches almost 2 million, and several million more those who care for them. Meanwhile, treatment started in a timely manner allows you to postpone the obvious manifestations of the disease for several years.
Symptoms of Dementia
Dementia is a disease that is accompanied by severe disorders in the human intellect and its behavior, leading to the loss of basic life skills. The disease usually develops in the elderly. This is about 5% of people over the age of 65. Patients lose the ability to acquire new skills and knowledge, while losing and previously learned. Specialists share the severity of mild, moderate and severe dementia. Symptoms of mild dementia are manifested by the degradation of the patient's professional skills, a decrease in his social activity, and a weakening interest in the outside world. At the same time, he fully retains the skills of self-service, normally navigates within his own apartment. Symptoms of moderate dementia are more pronounced: loss of skills in using modern appliances (telephone, television, kitchen utensils). The patient needs the help of relatives, but retains the skills of self-care and self-care. Severe dementia is called senile dementia, it is characterized by a person’s dependence on the help of loved ones even in elementary actions (dressing, eating, hygiene). Senile dementia, the symptoms of which are described above, is an acquired disease, in contrast to congenital dementia, for example, oligophrenia. Senile dementia is a consequence of the organic decay of brain cells in old age.
Alzheimer's type dementia: symptoms
Sufficient grounds for contacting a doctor:
- Memory. A person remembers worse information about what is happening at the moment.
- Orientation. A person begins to navigate worse in space and time.
- Thinking. Difficulties appear when trying to solve simple problems in everyday practice, rapid mental fatigue.
- Communication. Independence is lost, and social functions are burdened.
- Behavior. Interest in past hobbies is lost, everyday difficulties gradually appear, which is expressed in negligence and sloppiness. A person still takes care of himself, but needs reminders and tips.
Causes of dementia:
- Diseases of the nervous system that cause brain cell death (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer 's disease, Huntington's chorea).
- Diseases of the cerebral vessels (heart attack, stroke, ischemia).
- Alcoholism, hypoxemia, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism and other metabolic disorders.
- Neuroinfection.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Tumors
Dementia treatment
Despite the fact that there is an opinion that the treatment of this disease is useless, you should be aware that not every type of dementia is irreversible. Some symptoms of dementia recede after the causes that caused them have been eliminated. Modern medicine has a number of anti-dementia drugs that inhibit the rate of development of the severe consequences of this disease.