Concerned doctor: "Dementia in older people can be recognized before it's too late!"

Dementia is one of the most common diseases of our time. Doctors call it a catastrophe of the modern world, which is just waiting for its time. Every year the number of patients only increases. Statistics are frightening: now in the world every 4 seconds diagnosed with “senile dementia”. The worst part is that almost no one is safe from it.



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Editorial "Site" Today I'm going to tell you what dementia is, why it happens, how to recognize it, and if there's anything we can do to prevent it.

Dementia is an incurable disease, as a result of which brain cells die. The disease is characterized by a severe disorder of higher nervous activity. It manifests itself in a sharp decrease in mental abilities, in the loss of knowledge and skills and in the inability to acquire new ones. A person suffering from dementia has damage to memory, thinking, speech. He becomes almost unable to make decisions and evaluate what is happening.



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Exact. causes of dementia Still undefined. There is a lot of research in this area, but dementia is still a mystery. There is a theory that one of the risk factors is “wrong” brain aging. There are many theories about this, but none of them have been proven.

With the development of age-related dementia, it is important to consult a doctor at the first signs of it. The sooner the disease is detected, the greater the chances of slowing it down and reducing the manifestation of symptoms. Let's figure out when to worry and go to the doctor.

5 Signs of Dementia

1. Memory impairment
   A person becomes forgetful, poorly remembers recent events. He often remembers events of his youth that he remembers very well.
2. Changes in behaviour
   Most often, a person gradually loses interest in his hobbies, and some tasks become difficult for him. There may be signs of sloppiness and negligence. A person can take full care of himself, but he needs to be reminded of this.
3. Problems with orientation on the ground and in time
   It often happens that a person wanders two blocks from his home. It also happens that a person thinks that he is experiencing events that happened 20 years ago.
4. Difficulty thinking
   It can be difficult to perform normal daily tasks. It will take more time and the process will seem more complicated.
5. Communication problems
   People with dementia They can become closed, communication begins to burden them.

Many doctors say that now the main way to combat dementia is early diagnosis. After all, all the symptoms described can occur only 10-15 years after the onset of the disease. And by that time, unfortunately, a fifth of the memory centers in the brain die off. In this case, no treatment will be effective.

Now doctors are actively working to come up with a way to diagnose dementia in the early stages. One of these methods can be a diagnosis of a blood test. Scientists hope that they will be able to identify a certain composition of chemicals in the blood, which will serve as a signal for the treatment of the disease at an early stage. But for now, alas, the disease remains incurable.



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Treatment of dementia is not yet possible, but can only be prevented. To avoid lung cancer, you need to quit smoking. To prevent a heart attack, you need to eat right and lead an active lifestyle. What can we do to prevent dementia? Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question, because its causes are unknown. But there are some assumptions.

Prevention of dementia

1. Brain training
   The most effective way to prevent dementia is its constant loading with some information and actions. With the brain is the same as with our muscles: it must be constantly trained to keep in good shape. Solving various puzzles and crossword puzzles develops critical thinking. This is a kind of training for the brain, which increases its neuroplasticity and does not allow cognitive functions to deteriorate. In the early 90s, one major study was done in Chicago. A group of scientists from the medical center began monitoring 1,157 patients over the age of 65 years. Each subject was assigned a score of 1 to 5 based on how often they had to engage in perception and processing of information. This could be, for example, watching TV, reading books, solving crossword puzzles and other activities.
   
   
   
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   Patients underwent an annual examination for 12 years. The experiment showed that each additional score gave its holder a twofold slowdown in the deterioration of brain function. The 148 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease progressed about 42% faster with each additional score.
   
   That is, we can say with some confidence that brain training will undoubtedly delay the appearance of the disease and the symptoms themselves. But the disease will develop many times faster.
   
   
   
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2. Pressure control
   One study found that high blood pressure may be associated with poorer mental abilities. Australian scientists have shown that people with high blood pressure performed worse on tests related to the perception of visual information. Monitoring your blood pressure is very important.
   
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3. Physical exercise
   Physical activity is necessary for everyone, regardless of age. And for the elderly, they are especially important. After all, it is physical activity that helps slow the aging of the brain and stop the deterioration of cognitive functions. Regular exercise allows the elderly to remain sane for longer. Recent studies show that nutrition is also important.
   
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Academician Bekhterev, a famous scientist, said that our brain needs constant development. Dementia is a disease of the elderly, but its prevention should be considered from a young age. Try to always load your brain, give it food. Do not be lazy, work on yourself to keep your mind clear until old age.

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