The general public considers senile dementia as a natural thing experienced by the elderly due to age. In fact, senile dementia can be caused by dementia and needs to be treated immediately. Come on, see the discussion about senile following.
Senile is generally defined as a condition of reduced memory or memory. Many people think that senile dementia is an unavoidable effect of aging.
The ability to remember and process things does decrease gradually over time. However, that does not mean that when you get older, someone will experience senile dementia or become forgetful.
In certain cases, senile dementia should be suspected as an early symptom of dementia. Dementia itself is a syndrome or a collection of symptoms that refer to a decrease in brain function, such as decreased memory, impaired thought processes and behavior, and changes in mental or emotional conditions.
Dementia caused by dementia will generally make it difficult for sufferers to carry out daily activities. If it is severe, the elderly who experience severe dementia due to dementia may not even know the people closest to them.
Some conditions or diseases that cause senile dementia
One of the most common causes of senile dementia is the effects of aging which have an impact on weakening brain function. This usually will only cause mild memory impairment.
However, if the dementia that occurs is severe enough, this condition should be suspected as dementia. There are several medical conditions that can cause a person to develop dementia, including:
1. Degenerative diseases
Degenerative disease is a disease caused by a decrease in the performance of the body's organs. This condition is largely influenced by age.
The types of degenerative diseases that can cause dementia include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, vascular dementia due to stroke, and frontotemporal dementia or dementia due to disorders of the front and sides of the brain that regulate memory function.
2. Head injury
Head injuries can cause blood flow to the brain to be disrupted and cause dementia due to dementia.chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
Dementia due to this type of dementia usually occurs in people who often have repeated minor injuries to the head over many years, for example in boxers.
3. Vitamin B deficiency
Deficiency of vitamin B1 or B12 can cause dementia with senile symptoms if not treated properly. In fact, vitamin B1 deficiency can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a condition characterized by symptoms of confusion, ataxia, vision changes, and coma. This condition is also often associated with alcoholism.
4. Brain infection
Brain infections, such as meningitis, can impair brain function and eventually affect memory. A history of brain infection is also suspected to be one of the factors that can increase the risk of senile dementia.
5. Brain tumor
senile dementia can also be a symptom of a brain tumor. In addition to senile dementia, brain tumors can also cause several other symptoms, such as headaches, seizures, weakened muscles, and disturbances in the five senses.
6. Autoimmune disease
One of the autoimmune diseases that can cause senile dementia is multiple sclerosis. This disease occurs due to a disorder in the body's immune system that attacks healthy nerve and brain cells and tissues.
7. Hereditary diseases
senile dementia can also be a symptom of Huntington's disease. This condition is a type of hereditary disease that causes a reduction in certain types of brain cells that control movement as well as the ability to think.
8. Rare disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare disease that attacks and kills brain cells, causing behavioral changes and memory loss. This condition is more common in young adults.
In addition, senile dementia can also occur due to the habit of consuming excessive alcohol and a history of drug abuse.
Some Steps for Handling senile
The senile condition is one of the health problems that should not be ignored and needs to be checked by a doctor, especially if senile dementia is severe enough and leads to symptoms of dementia. Some senile conditions due to dementia can be treated, but so far there is no cure for dementia.
Treatment for senile dementia is generally supportive or relieves symptoms and prevents them from getting worse. To overcome senile dementia, doctors can provide several treatments, which include:
Addressing the causes of dementia
Treatment of senile dementia is focused on how to address the cause of dementia itself. For example, your doctor may suggest a balanced nutritious diet or prescribe supplements if you are experiencing dementia due to a deficiency in certain nutrients.
Meanwhile, for dementia or dementia caused by a brain tumor, doctors may treat it by means of surgery and chemotherapy.
Prescribing drugs
To improve senile symptoms and improve brain function in patients, doctors can prescribe medications for dementia such asrivastigmine, donezepil, galantamine, andmemantine.
Although they cannot completely cure dementia, these drugs can relieve symptoms of dementia and improve mental functions, such as mood and behavior.
Doing cognitive stimulation therapy
Therapy which is also known as ccognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a method of psychotherapy to improve cognitive function and improve the relationship of people with dementia with those around them.
Several studies say that the CST method is effective in improving the quality of life of people with dementia and dementia.
The CST method is done by involving various activities, such as playing sports or physical games, playing with words or numbers, reading story books, drawing, coloring, making art, cooking, and various other creative activities.
Provide palliative care
This treatment method is generally carried out for senile sufferers due to severe dementia that is difficult or incurable, for example in end-stage cancer patients who also have dementia.
In contrast to treatment to cure disease, palliative care is more focused on improving a person's quality of life in the rest of their life. This includes reducing pain and fostering mental health.
This treatment includes medication, home care to train the sufferer to be more independent, as well as counseling and support from friends and family.
Living a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and maintaining communication and social relationships with those around you is also beneficial for preventing dementia or dementia. In addition, taking certain supplements, such as Gingko biloba, also good for preventing dementia.
Dementia due to dementia often causes the relationship between sufferers and those around them to be disturbed. Therefore, the family and people closest to the sufferer also need to receive counseling and be given an understanding of this condition.
If you have a family member or relative who suffers from dementia or dementia, these conditions should be checked by a doctor so they can get the right treatment and management program for senile dementia.