Curious About Dementia
Curious About Dementia
2022-05-20 11:06:15/ Kategori : Neurology
WHAT IS DEMENTATION?
Dementia is a condition in which mental abilities are weakened, most notably forgetfulness, due to illness.
It is derived from the Latin word mens = mind. dementia; means the loss of the mind afterwards. It does not mean that the mind is already absent or scarce.
By definition, dementia must impair or begin to impair more than one ability. Therefore, inability to remember in stroke is not considered as dementia, but occlusion of small-medium-diameter vessels – multiinfarct dementia.
ARE DEMENTS AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, or Alzheimer’s type dementia, which is seen in more than two-thirds of all dementia patients.
However, there is a wide variety of diseases or conditions that lead to dementia because it weakens the brain. In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, vascular/blood circulation-related dementia is also frequently seen. Treatment of less common causes of dementia, such as enlargement of brain cavities, drug side effects, infections, metabolic-toxic conditions, is quite different from Alzheimer’s disease.
DEMENTATION AND AGED
Dementia is the result of a disease, not old age. But the risk of dementia increases with age. Age-related memory impairment (AAMI) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are concepts that should be differentiated from dementia. These patients should be followed carefully. Some patients from this group are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s type dementia.
SYMPTOMS OF
DEMENTIA Most people with dementia have forgetfulness and memory problems. However, other mental skills are also affected.
Examples of these are:
The patient or his relative; He complains that the same questions and the same topics are repeated, personal belongings are lost, appointments are forgotten, the food is on the stove and the stove is open.
It manifests itself first in foreign places, gradually in the form of difficulty in finding direction and sometimes getting lost in familiar places.
In the early period, naming difficulties may begin with narrowing of the vocabulary, and gradually, as is more common in AD, speech disorder in which comprehension is impaired may develop. Manual dexterity may be impaired in the use of simple modern devices (comb, scissors, toothbrush, tableware, etc.).
It can impair the recognition of objects and faces, the determination of the position of an object in space relative to other objects.
The patient tends to lose mental flexibility; have difficulty understanding jokes, planning their behavior, reasoning about individual and social problems, and producing appropriate solutions to the problems they encounter in daily life.
There may be disturbances in impulse control regarding sexual tendencies and eating.
He does not show initiative, does not demand anything spontaneously, does not speak when not directed towards him. Nothing that happens around him seems to interest him.
Sometimes it shows relaxed behavior incompatible with social position, unusual sociability, playfulness, childishness; relatives often refer to these changes as an embarrassment for the family.
Thought disorders may include delusions of theft (“the babysitter steals my money”), infidelity (“my wife is cheating on me with someone else”), and abandonment (“you’re going to throw me in a hospice”).
There are perception disorders in the form of a tendency to see things that are not and hear things that are not.
Depression can occur in the form of anxiety, restlessness, restlessness, constant change of place and place, and boredom very quickly.
Purposeless-repetitive movements (aimless wandering-stepping, repetition of the same movement such as opening-closing cabinets, folding-opening the sheets, picking up, stacking in inappropriate places) are among the observable behavioral problems.
Maintaining one’s job, traveling outside the home, shopping, taking care of finances (paying bills, banking, etc.), using everyday gadgets, pursuing hobbies, running household chores, taking care of themselves or hygiene (dressing, washing, feeding, toilet, etc.). ) may distort features that can be exemplified as being able.
HOW IS DEMENTATION DIAGNOSED?
Diagnosis is made by neurological examination, neuropsychological tests, biochemistry tests, neuroimaging methods (CT MR), if necessary, EEG and Lumbar function tests.
Only 2-3% of the disease cases are accepted in Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment options depend on what disease is causing the dementia.
TO PROTECT FROM ALZHEIMER;
- Do not smoke.
- Feeding with organic food, instead of foods affected by environmental pollution and artificial additives, eat natural and organic food if possible.
- Avoid sugary foods.
- Cook food on low heat.
- Eat a low calorie diet.
- Review the items used in the kitchen in daily life. Use steel, glass or porcelain cookware.
- Control your weight and exercise.
- Take advantage of sunlight.
- Do not delay the doctor’s checks.
- Learn to manage your stress and develop social relationships.
- Pay attention to sleep time.
