Alzheimer's disease is actually the disease of our time. The disease itself is one of the most common causes of dementia in society, the other common cause of dementia is the disease of forgetfulness due to vascular occlusion. In fact, Alzheimer's is a disease of forgetfulness. The picture we call dementia is considered equivalent to the forgetfulness we often see. The brain has many different functions other than memory. However, diseases that cause dementia are defined as forgetfulness diseases because they often and primarily affect memory. We said that Alzheimer's disease is basically a cause of dementia accompanied by forgetfulness. It is frequently seen in society. The most important parameter affecting the incidence of this disease is advancing age, that is, Alzheimer's disease is seen much more frequently with advancing age. Well, apart from forgetfulness, aren't other brain functions such as learning, speaking and writing affected? Of course, all other brain functions are affected along with memory, but the fact that memory is affected first and foremost is the distinguishing feature of the disease. Here, memory is primarily short-term, In other words, recent memory is affected. When describing the patient and the patient's relatives, we are faced with the complaint that "he remembers the past very well, sir; this patient has difficulty remembering recent events in the short term, and even asks the questions he asks over and over again."
Actually, the most important situation for Alzheimer's disease occurs in the diagnosis phase. The most important stage of the disease is the diagnosis phase. We said this at the beginning. Although one of the most common causes of forgetfulness disease, namely dementia, is Alzheimer's disease, another reason is vascular occlusions in the brain. From this perspective, considering that vascular occlusion in the brain is a preventable disease, the presence of this condition in the patient should be questioned and examinations should be performed for this. Because forgetfulness caused by vascular occlusion in the brain is at least stoppable, even if it is not reversible. Although it is a preventable disease, in Alzheimer's disease, cell loss in the brain, especially in the memory center of the brain, is irreversible and is often unstoppable even with treatment.
What can be done after the diagnosis of Alzheimer's?
First of all, the disease should be staged. For this, the patient and the patient's relatives should be informed. After this information is provided, the necessary recommendations should be made to the patient and the necessary precautions should be given to the relatives. Alzheimer's disease The treatment to be applied at the next stage after the diagnosis of the disease is actually completely symptomatic treatment. In other words, symptomatic treatment is aimed at the patient's complaints and facilitates the patient care of the patient's relatives.
So Alzheimer's disease is not a treatable disease, even with today's treatment options. However, another important stage after the diagnosis stage in Alzheimer's disease is that measures can be taken that can contribute to the disease or change the course of the disease before it develops. For example, it has been found that Alzheimer's disease is more common in patients with cerebrovascular occlusion. In addition, the presence of a psychiatric disease, that is, a history of depression, has been observed as a condition that increases the frequency of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is observed more frequently in patients whose hypertension is not well controlled. Therefore, such risk factors should be minimized and, if possible, controlled.
After approaching the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the general message we will give should be as follows; Alzheimer's disease is not the only cause of dementia, it is one of the two most common causes. Another is dementia caused by reversible vascular occlusion, which is of greater importance for us in the presence of Alzheimer's disease. It is at least stoppable with treatment. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The process after being placed What patients need to know, and their relatives especially need to know, is that the disease cannot currently be treated with current treatment methods.
Therefore, we can finally say this; We can say that Alzheimer's disease is an expected cause of dementia that will be observed more frequently as the average life expectancy increases. We can call it the disease of our age.
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