The word "idiocy", which is widely used in everyday speech, is actually a medical term for a severe form of a hereditary disease called mental retardation.
What is it, modern medicine is well known, which cannot be said about people who are far from it. As a rule, until an illness affects one family, all its members do not think that this can happen in their circle. Let us examine in detail the idiocy, its nature, symptoms and prognosis for the sick.
General information
Oligophrenia is a metabolic disease of a hereditary nature. Its essence is quite difficult to grasp for a person far from medicine. In short, the patient's body lacks an enzyme involved in the process of phenylalanine metabolism, and the result of this is that phenylalanine, along with metabolites, begins to accumulate in the child's body.
It negatively affects the functioning of the central nervous system, having a toxic effect. Well, this, in turn, inhibits mental development, which gradually results in mental deviations. It is forbiddento say when this disease first appeared, it is only known that A. Felling first undertook to describe it in 1934. Sometimes this disease is called dementia.
Idiocy is a severe mental retardation
Oligophrenia has several stages, differing from each other in severity. Idiocy is the most complex and hard flowing of them. A person with this degree of dementia almost completely does not think, is not able to pronounce words, for the most part his speech is limited to indistinct lowing. Attention is also reduced to nothing, its concentration is out of the question. Defective perceptions of oneself and the environment.
Idiocy is the inability not only to fully speak, but also to understand what others are saying. Many children with idiocy are unable to learn to stand and walk unaided.
Causes of disease
Idiocy is a disease that has purely specific causes. These could be:
- Genetic diseases. One of their main manifestations is mental retardation. These are mainly Angelman syndrome, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome. All these diseases, among other things, are accompanied by physical underdevelopment and are associated with malfunctions in the structure of genes.
- Infectious diseases. Mental disorders are often formed on the basis of diseases such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, syphilis.
- Unfavorable factors that affect the pregnant mother. Unfortunately,people began to forget that alcohol, drugs, radiation and poor ecology negatively affect not only the body of a pregnant mother, but also the fetus.
- Iodine deficiency. In order for the nervous system to develop correctly, iodine must be in abundance. It often happens that women with iodine deficiency during pregnancy suffer from this disease even more, and the result of this is a child with mental retardation. The disease can also develop when, during the first three years of life, the baby does not receive the right amount of iodine.
- Ionizing radiation. It is for this reason that pregnant women are not given x-rays.
- Exposure to chemical agents. They are household toxic substances - solvents, insect poison.
- Eating insufficient food. Many women, worrying about their figure during pregnancy, torture themselves with strict diets and irregular meals. As a result, the body begins to deplete, and not only the pregnant woman herself suffers, but also her fetus.
- Defeat the fetus inside the womb. This happens due to hormonal problems of the pregnant woman.
- Birth trauma of the brain. The baby's head may be too squeezed by the forceps, or the baby may simply be dropped to the floor.
Symptoms
Idiotism and insanity have very similar symptoms. These pathologies can be distinguished by the degree of speech impairment. So, in patients with marasmus, quite stable speech is preserved, with a small, but stillsufficient vocabulary, which is not observed in patients with oligophrenia.
Insanity is an acquired state, and it begins with the collapse of an already existing intellectual component. And idiocy is a disease that makes it impossible to develop intelligence. Characteristic for him:
- Lagging behind in physical development. Sick children learn late to hold their heads, walk, sit. Some people can't learn it at all.
- Poor coordination. Most often they are too inaccurate and sweeping.
- Lack of meaningful speech or its underdevelopment. Speech mainly consists of shouting, lowing.
- Unconscious thinking. A person is unable to read, cannot assess the situation, adequately comprehend something.
- Bad memory. Things, people, even the closest ones, are forgotten very quickly. The patient may perceive his family as strangers, forget where are edible and where are inedible items.
- Emotional spectrum disorders. Suddenly, outbursts of anger, irritation, aggression may occur.
- Incapable of self-care. Patients are unable to brush their teeth, wash themselves.
Treatment
Treatment of the described disease, unfortunately, is impossible. It is aimed solely at relieving and improving the course of symptoms.
So, in order to normalize metabolism, they prescribe glutamic acid, Cerebrolysin, nootropics, and carry out vitamin therapy. And in order to relieve lethargy a little, they use natural stimulants - Chineselemongrass, aloe, ginseng. Antipsychotics cope with excitement, and they are saved from seizures with the help of anticonvulsants. The sooner treatment is started, the more effective it will be.
Forecast
Idiocy is a disease that has a negative prognosis. All violations are irreversible. Both mental and mental activity suffers. Often develops such adverse diseases as intellectual-mnestic disorders. Pathology is congenital and cannot be treated. With a mild form of the disease, people live to be 50 years old, with a severe form, they die before the age of 20.
Prevention
Prevention of the disease is mostly about maintaining a proper lifestyle during pregnancy. It is necessary to completely give up smoking and alcohol, do not forget to visit a gynecologist, get registered, take walks in the fresh air, sleep the right amount of time. Particular attention deserves a proper balanced diet, the rejection of harmful fatty foods, the use of greens, vegetables and fruits.
In a natural environment, people with idiocy almost cannot live, which is why they are placed in special boarding schools. Especially those who have been diagnosed with severe mental retardation need this.
What is it, we described in the article. And understanding how complex this pathology is, I would like to emphasize: no matter what a person is, he must be treated with respect and try to make his existence easier.
