Many elderly people complain of pathological forgetfulness. Most often, such a symptom indicates the development of a serious disease - senile sclerosis. In the medical literature, you can find other names for this condition: dementia, dementia, insanity, psychosis, etc. These concepts combine the general clinical picture and treatment methods.
Brief description of the disease
Many people know that nerve cells do not have the ability to recover. This statement has been repeatedly proven by numerous studies. If neurons die, then this process has a negative impact on the entire body. A person develops neurological diseases. And one of them is senile sclerosis.
In everyday life, we mention this pathology when we talk about memory problems. Older people are more susceptible to them, but young people, unfortunately, today do not lag behind them. But if in boys and girls the onset of a disorder is usually due to prolonged overexertion, thenin old people, the complete death of nerve cells begins. The speed of this process is always individual and directly depends on the state of the vessels.
In turn, this system is a reflection of nutrition, lifestyle and heredity. When the vessels cease to function fully, oxygen-enriched blood does not enter the brain and other organs. Nerve cells begin to experience a lack of nutrients. Thus, the process of their destruction starts. It is at this moment that memory impairment in older people begins.
Main reasons
Thanks to the development of medicine, doctors can bring the central nervous system of an elderly person to an optimal state. Today you can meet grandparents over 80 years old without the slightest hint of senile sclerosis. After all, old age is not a disease - it is a natural process of the body's vital activity. But the he alth problems accompanying it are various kinds of pathologies that have their own prerequisites and solutions.
Among the main causes of senile sclerosis, doctors identify:
- Violation of full cerebral circulation.
- Brain cell renewal not fast enough.
- Disorder of biochemical processes.
Proper identification of the main cause of the disease at the stage of diagnosis allows you to choose the most effective treatment.
First manifestations
Symptoms and treatment of senile sclerosis are described in many scientific papers. However, in each of thempay attention to the advanced age of the person. Indeed, this disorder is most often encountered by older people.
In order not to miss the moment and seek medical help in a timely manner, relatives and friends should know the first signs of senile sclerosis. In total there are a large number of them. Only the most common are listed below:
- Problems with the vocal apparatus.
- Memory loss.
- Pathological resentment.
- Negative perception of reality.
- Impaired vision.
- Feeling useless.
- Incoordination.
The clinical picture is often complemented by very specific symptoms. The patient's behavior changes dramatically, he loses his former interest in work. Habitual tasks (for example, brushing teeth, cooking) are now difficult to solve. Some become overly greedy and begin to store unnecessary things in the apartment.
On the other hand, such a person gives the impression of a completely he althy personality. He becomes talkative, constantly taking part in lively discussions. However, the simplest questions can confuse him. It is these symptoms of senile sclerosis that indicate the progression of the disease.
Stages of disease progression
In the development of the pathological process, it is customary to distinguish 3 stages. Each of them is characterized by certain manifestations and signs.
- At the initial stage, the patient hasa sharp decline in intellectual abilities. He is difficult to train, but still able to take care of himself. He has no difficulty in cooking, washing or going to the toilet.
- The second stage is characterized by a worsening of the overall clinical picture. A person gradually loses the ability to use personal hygiene products, a mobile phone. He may suddenly forget how to turn on the stove or lock the front door.
- The third stage is simultaneously considered the final one. She is marked by complete insanity. The patient loses the skills of the simplest physiological processes. For example, he can relieve himself in absolutely any place he likes. Such a person no longer understands how to properly hold cutlery, why turn on the stove. At this stage, a patient who has been diagnosed with senile sclerosis requires constant care.
Necessary medical examination
When the first symptoms of the disease appear, you should immediately seek help from a neurologist. Delay is extremely undesirable, since the nerve cells of the brain are destroyed at a high speed. The sooner the doctor selects the treatment, the higher the chances of slowing down this process.
Diagnosis of the disease begins with a questioning of the patient and studying his anamnesis. After that, the doctor prescribes a comprehensive examination, which includes the following activities:
- complete blood count;
- MRI or CT of the brain;
- EEG;
- dopplerography.
If there are concomitanthe alth problems may require consultation of narrow specialists (for example, a cardiologist).
Principles of Recommended Therapy
There is no universal cure for senile sclerosis, because it is not possible to completely overcome the disease. Nerve cells do not regenerate.
What does modern medicine offer? Patients with such a diagnosis are primarily prescribed drug therapy. It will be discussed in more detail below. To improve the general condition, they sometimes resort to the help of traditional medicine.
Recovery can take a lot of effort and time. Therefore, the patient himself and his relatives should be patient. Seizures do not disappear immediately. In some cases, the reverse process begins, and the memory is restored.
Medication use
Treatment of senile sclerosis begins with the appointment of nootropic drugs. Their long-term use improves cognitive functions, stimulates cerebral circulation. Tablets should be prescribed only by a doctor. Otherwise, you can harm your he alth, despite the good tolerance of drugs from this group in old age.
As the body ages, the walls of blood vessels begin to thin. As a result, the risk of their rupture increases. Therefore, an integral part of drug therapy is the use of medications to strengthen the vascular walls. Additionally, you may need the help of drugs that contain caffeine and nicotineacid. It is also considered useful to take vitamins that are useful at any age.
senile sclerosis is often accompanied by rather unpleasant symptoms. Patients begin to behave aggressively and defiantly. Therefore, for the relief of nervous breakdowns, the doctor may recommend antidepressants. To bring a person to his senses, sometimes you can not do without tranquilizers. At later stages of the development of the disease, taking only pills is no longer enough; the help of specialists in the field of psychiatry is required.
Prognosis for recovery
senile sclerosis of cerebral vessels is not yet a sentence. If the patient is prescribed high-quality and timely treatment, one can hope for a favorable prognosis. The use of drugs, as well as lifestyle changes, can slow the progression of the disease.
But it is important to understand that the patient can never fully return to the previous state. The disease will sometimes manifest itself, even if the doctor's recommendations are followed.
Prevention Methods
To prevent the early development of the disease, it is necessary to periodically engage in its prevention.
First of all, doctors recommend reconsidering the daily diet in favor of he althier food, give up bad habits. Sports will also be helpful. Today, in many specialized centers there are exercise therapy groups that are visited exclusively by the elderly. Changing habitual lifestyle always has a positive effect onthe work of the whole organism.
An important component of prevention is constant memory training. Scientists have proven that, for example, solving crossword puzzles and puzzles helps to maintain mental activity. People who load their brain with logical puzzles every day are much less likely to suffer from manifestations of senile dementia.
