dementia – An Overview
In the past few weeks, there is always time winning games that had the content to do with the topic of dementia. Be it treat the card game “Colorful mixture” to the activation of demented persons, or to the book “dementia, of course” – the theme followed me here on the Blog. And also in the Public’s dementia because of the disease of football Manager Rudi Assauer recently, a larger platform. So there is an entry for my care alphabet. Although certainly many of you have (basic)knowledge in this area, I hope, the article is still, in Parts, instructive.
Care alphabet: a-D, such as dementia
Dementia is (in 90% of cases), a brain disorder that causes problems or deficits in cognitive, emotional, and social skills. The word comes from the Latin and means “without mind”. This word choice also shows what happens in the case of dementia with the person Concerned: The loss of memory, and over the life of acquired Knowledge.
Various forms of the disease
Dementia is often used as a Synonym for Alzheimer’s disease. This is not entirely true, because dementia is the generic term for this disease and Alzheimer’s disease a Form of it. This equality comes surely, therefore, that approximately 60% of all dementia diseases are diagnosed as Alzheimer’s. In this disease, the substance glutamate, nerve cells die in specific areas of the brain due to interference with the balance of the Messenger. Alzheimer’s in moderation due to the right therapy to treat by the messenger substance is influenced accordingly.
Another Form of the disease is the vascular dementia. It is caused by blood circulation disorders. The most Dangerous thing about this Form is that it can lead seizures to sudden deteriorations of the brain, performance and impact.
As mentioned above, there are also cases in which dementia is not caused by an organic brain disease. Among these 10%, the secondary dementias. The loss of these skills is caused here, for example, by thyroid disorders, deficiency of Vitamin B12, alcoholism, AIDS or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Therapy of dementia
If the disease is detected early, there are ways the course of the disease by means of drugs 1-2 years delay and to slow down. These medicines, anti-dementive called, for some years. In addition to the chemical club, there are also natural treatment options such as garlic or Gingko biloba, which are, however, rather controversial. Some people you work well, in others no effect is observed.
Additional therapy ways memory training and biography. The above-mentioned card game is used, for example, to enable the person with dementia and to bring “your brain on its toes”. In the case of these two mentioned methods, it is important that the Patient and the other to the care of persons involved in work closely and trustingly together. Only then an optimal development of the effect can be caused.
Dementia is a lot to ask of fellow human beings
When dealing with ill people is especially important: patience. Due to impatience on the part of the contact persons of the data subject has the feeling to have done something wrong – this is cause for dissatisfaction, sadness, and malaise. This does not necessarily lead to a deterioration of the mental state, but, of course, to a deterioration of the perception of the Person. Also must and you should not lose the patience, because you have to explain things 5x or stories of 5x tells gets. Due to the memory error, this is normal.
This article is intended to give an Overview. Who, for example, has a specific question, you may get the dementia Advisor gesundheitsfrage.net quick answers. To other diseases a lot of questions and answers there to be found (see here).
Image: Gerd Altmann / pixelio.de