According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that more than 50 million people suffer from dementia. It is also the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. This disease, especially in older people, is one of the major causes of disability and dependency. In particular, Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. It negatively affects memory, thinking and social skills, and recognizing the symptoms early is crucial for treatment.
What is Dementia?
Dementia diseases are conditions that are often age-related. Alzheimer's can be added to this. Alzheimer's disease covers sixty percent of this condition. Some of the diseases referred to as dementia are as follows;
- Vascular dementia due to vascular occlusion
- Dementia due to Parkinson's disease among neurological diseases
- Dementia due to tumors
- Dementia due to hydrocephalus
- Dementia due to various vitamin deficiencies
- Dementia due to various blood diseases (anemia, etc.)
- Alzheimer's disease
- Dementia due to hormone disorders
What are the Symptoms of Dementia?
The most prominent symptoms of dementia are the forgetting of newly recorded information in the memory. In addition, at least two of the following functions must be impaired for a person to be considered to have dementia;
- Memory
- Communication and language
- Ability to focus and pay attention
- Reasoning and judgment
- Visual perception
If you or someone around you is experiencing memory problems or impairment of the above-mentioned thinking skills, you may need to contact a specialist as soon as possible to find out what is causing it.
What are the stages of dementia?
The stages of dementia are levels that indicate the progression of a person's disease over the course of a year. Dementia stages can be examined comprehensively and in detail. Dementia progresses differently over the years. It varies according to the patients. Two types of scales are used in the progression of the disease. These are defined comprehensively using the three scales and in more detail using the Seven Stages Reisberg Scale developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg from New York University. We can list these stages as follows;
- Stage No Cognitive Impairment: There is no abnormality in the person's memory and behavior. It is not noticed by the environment. If there is any damage, the person may not care about it.
- Stage Very Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive changes are barely noticeable. Current events may be forgotten. Forgetting personal belongings in different places becomes more frequent. At this stage, problems with forgetfulness are perceived as a sign of old age and considered a natural consequence.
- Stage Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive change is felt at a moderate level. Events that were thought to be natural consequences in the previous stages begin to negatively affect the person's life. Changes begin to be noticed by the person's environment. The person starts to ignore and hide these problems. It is difficult to diagnose the disease in the early stages.
- Stage Moderate Cognitive Impairment: This is considered the beginning of Alzheimer's. The person has problems with calculations. Disruptions in routine tasks begin and the person continues to recognize the people around him/her. Even if diagnosed, the patient may not accept this situation. On the contrary, moodiness and irritability increase. The patient becomes withdrawn.
- Stage Moderately Severe Cognitive Impairment: This is considered to be the moderate-severe stage of dementia. The person starts to lose the ability to solve personal problems. He/she confuses event patterns. Serious forgetfulness begins. The person tends to blame others due to forgetfulness.
- Stage Severe Cognitive Impairment: It is considered as the severe level among the stages of dementia. They cannot be aware of their behaviors. They cannot remember the names of their relatives but their faces are familiar. The person has difficulty in fulfilling their basic needs and needs help. The person starts to experience psychological problems such as remembering an event that did not happen as if it happened and experiencing delusions.
- Very Severe Cognitive Impairment: This is considered to be the most severe stage of dementia. The patient loses motor skills. He/she cannot fulfill his/her basic needs without help. As the disease progresses, the person forgets to sit, eat and becomes bedridden. He/she cannot meet his/her toilet needs and incontinence becomes more frequent.
How is dementia treated?
There is no cure for most types of progressive dementia . There are some ways to manage the symptoms. Therefore, the treatment of dementia is to keep the symptoms under control and to improve the patient's quality of life. If the patient has accompanying problems such as depression, hallucinations and sleep disorders, medications for these problems can be added to the treatment, and drugs such as cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine can be used. Some arrangements may need to be made for dementia patients to lead a healthy life. For example, items that may cause the patient to fall at home can be removed. In some cases, sharp instruments may also need to be placed out of the patient's reach for safety reasons.