Senile Dementia is one of the most feared disorders when we get older. Irreversible, it is a brain disorder that diminishes intellectual capacity and daily performance of sufferers, directly affecting their perception of reality. While we can´t stop it or reverse it, we can slow its progress, improving the quality of life of patients.
The Senile Dementia can occur for several reasons: brain deterioration proper of the age, because of poor watering or blood nutrition (hardening of veins and cerebral arteries), and finally because of the death or loss of nerve cells and the communication between them.
The problem with senile dementia is that it evolves gradually, slowly and silently, and its symptoms can be confused with infirmities of age in the elderly. In this sense, we must be very attentive to the following symptoms: memory loss that begins with small oversights or repetition of questions, loss of language, severe behavioral disturbance (anxiety, mood swings, disorder at home, apathy, insomnia, clumsiness, and inappropriate behavior) and loss of reasoning ability. It is considered that when a person has at least two of these symptoms is giving clear signs of suffering senile dementia.
We should note that there are factors that can cause senile dementia, that when we detect them in time, could allow us to fix it and slow the progression of this disorder: brain injuries, brain tumors, excessive alcohol consumption, changes in blood levels of sugar-sodium-calcium, use of drugs to lower cholesterol and eventually continued exposure to lead or mercury.
In the treatment of senile dementia, the family plays a fundamental role. In its initial phase, the family must detect and encourage the patient to seek help, and in the later stages perform the surveillance, support and care for basic tasks, always providing the greatest possible affection and patience.
As we have said, unfortunately at the moment there is no definitive cure against Senile Dementia, only drugs that improve some of its symptoms or help to slow its progress. However, we can prevent or delay its appearance with simple guidelines of healthy habits: exercise regularly, avoid overweight and obesity, prevent high blood pressure, control diabetes, eliminate as much as possible snuff and alcohol, have an active social life, keep the mind active and make intellectual exercise, and finally take good care of our food to be as healthy as possible.
From Valtrum we invite you to take care of your present and your future keeping healthy lifestyles, and to be alert to the appearance of the first symptoms of senile dementia, trying not to underestimate it and attack in time.
Have a nice week and See you next time!
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