What is dementia?
“Dementia” is a medical term used by doctors to describe a general decline in brain function that includes many manifestations, such as asking and repeating the same questions over and over again, inability to recognize directions, getting lost easily, forgetting acquaintances and dates, lack of hygiene, dressing oddly, and temper tantrums. Patients with dementia gradually lose various abilities. There are many causes of dementia, some of which can be corrected and some of which cannot. The most common of these are Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. Vascular dementia is often caused by small infarcts in multiple blood vessels in the brain. Some patients with dementia have a combination of both causes. Yan He, Department of Neurology, Shandong Qianfo Mountain Hospital
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease, also known as Alzheimer’s disease, is the most important disease that causes dementia in the elderly.
Does poor memory mean Alzheimer’s disease?
As people age, the process of remembering can be slightly slower in older people than in younger people, requiring more time and effort. Therefore, many people believe that they are just forgetful as they age and that poor memory does not equal dementia. However, medical doctors believe that poor memory and memory loss are often the earliest manifestations of dementia, so we must pay enough attention to memory loss in old age. If some of the following memory loss phenomena occur, it may indicate dementia and should be promptly sought for medical attention.
1. Memory loss, especially recent memory. Can’t remember what just happened, as if things have completely disappeared, even after reminders.
2.Loss of judgment of the surrounding environment, such as not knowing the year, month and day, not knowing the change of seasons, not knowing where you are, and sometimes not even finding the way home.
3.No trouble about memory loss, thinking is getting slower and slower, speech is getting poorer and reaction is slow.
4.No desire to seek medical help for the memory loss.
Who is prone to Alzheimer’s disease?
(1) Older people over 60 years old: the older you are, the more likely you are to develop the disease.
(2) People with a family history of the disease
(3) Women
(4) Others: Low education level, history of traumatic brain injury, and lack of certain trace elements and vitamins may also increase the risk of developing the disease.
Early manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic disease, and the onset is relatively insidious, so it is easy to be ignored by the patient’s family. Early symptoms include memory loss, especially forgetting things that have just been experienced; reduced ability to learn new things; inability to express oneself in appropriate language; significant mood swings; and personality changes. Patients have increasing difficulties with activities of daily living (e.g., not being able to calculate income and expenses, getting lost outside, not being able to remember where to put objects, etc.). Although the early stages of the condition do not prevent the patient from socializing, family members should pay special attention to the elderly once these early signs appear.
Why is early diagnosis and timely treatment necessary?
1. Treatment can improve the patient’s ability to perform daily activities
2.Treatment can slow down the process of functional decline
3.Treatment can improve the patient’s prognosis
4.Treatment can help patients maintain themselves for a longer period of time
5.Treatment can reduce the burden of caregivers
Three major misconceptions that delay early diagnosis.
Myth 1: “Old age” is a normal phenomenon, a natural process of aging.
Myth 2: There is nothing that can be done about Alzheimer’s disease
Myth 3: Old age is inevitably poor memory
Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease are divided into two main categories: drugs that improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or delay the progression of the disease and drugs that treat behavioral disorders.
What should I pay attention to when taking medication?
1.Chaperones should monitor the patient’s medication intake.
2. Do not completely trust the patient that he has taken the medication. You must see that he has taken the medication on time and that the dosage is correct.
3.Place the medication in a safe place so that the patient does not accidentally take an overdose.
4.In addition to medication, nursing care is also one of the important measures to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Psychological care.
1.Remembering past events: It is a good way to encourage patients to keep thinking.
2.Increase communication: When talking with the patient, you should try to be calm and peaceful. For the patient’s questions, should be given a simple and clear and serious answer, not too complicated, not to mention perfunctory.
3, gentle language: do not argue with the patient, do not insist on their own views.
4, eliminate worry: the patient will repeatedly ask the same question, should find out why he is so and eliminate his worries.
5.Integrate with reality: Let the patient watch TV appropriately, take the patient out more often and visit the park, so that the old man’s mind and vision can also keep pace with the times
Contact the doctor: Contact the doctor regularly to obtain timely guidance from him/her
Behavioral care: It can help patients take care of themselves or perform simple household chores, delay brain decline, improve patients’ quality of life, and slow down the progress of their illness.
Diet and living: Mainly adjust the biological clock of the patient’s daily life, arrange the daily routine, regular diet, regular urination and defecation, wake up, avoid sleeping during the day and making noise at night. The nap time should not be too long. After dinner, it is better to take a walk, watch TV, and let the patient do what he/she can do, so that the patient can maintain the ability to take care of himself/herself as much as possible.
Physical exercise:
1, the way of exercise: vary from person to person, can walk, play Tai Chi, jogging, etc.
2, the amount of exercise: should master the amount of exercise, gradual.
3, time and place: preferably in the early morning in the park, playground, seaside, boulevards and other places with sufficient oxygen, 1-2 hours of exercise in a day, divided into 2 — 3 times is good.
4, perseverance: brain fitness is not a one-time thing, exercise is not only physical exercise, but also the exercise of will and perseverance.
5, preparation activities: very important, can gradually improve the central nervous system excitability.
6, medical supervision: in the process of exercise should be accompanied by a person, if you feel uncomfortable in time to stop the activity, appropriate rest, if necessary, seek medical help.
Adaptation to the environment: Help patients gradually adapt to their living environment.
Rehabilitation training: Early and comprehensive rehabilitation training should be carried out, including memory training, thinking training, attention and concentration training, visual impairment training and language function training, etc.