Dementia (popularly known as dementia); It is a condition in which a person experiences difficulties in carrying out his daily life independently due to increasing deterioration in memory and other mental functions. The most common symptoms are forgetfulness, learning difficulties, reasoning and judgment problems.
Not all forgetfulness is dementia. Some systemic diseases directly or indirectly affect brain functions and cause forgetfulness, but do not cause dementia. The three most common and treatable diseases that can cause mental effects are; vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid (goiter) and diabetes. With the treatment of these diseases, forgetfulness complaints can be almost completely resolved.
Dementia is not a natural condition that comes with old age. So not every elderly person gets dementia. Dementia always results from disease, and there are more than 200 types of diseases that can cause dementia. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, affecting more than half of people with dementia. This is probably why every time "dementia" is mentioned, it is understood as "Alzheimer's disease".
Dementia due to vascular disease is the second most common cause of dementia. Dementia with Lewy bodies, dementias due to Parkinson's disease - syndromes, frontotemporal dementia, normal pressure hydrocephalus and dementias due to Prion diseases (such as mad cow disease) are much rarer. Dementia diseases are generally not hereditary.
The most important step in the diagnosis of dementia is clinical evaluation. Before a diagnosis of dementia is made; History, neurological examination, laboratory findings, brain imaging and some neuropsychological tests are required. Definitive diagnosis is only possible by examining pieces taken from the brain under a microscope. This is a method that can be used very rarely while the patients are alive. If it is proven that there are no other diseases that can cause dementia, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is considered.
The frequency and prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, doubles every five years after the age of sixty. While the disease progresses with memory deficits in the early stages, in the advanced stages; loss of ability, speech impairment, daydreaming, loss of way e, difficulty in learning new information, loss of decision-making ability and deterioration in social relationships. In the recent period, the patient becomes more vulnerable to infectious diseases due to the difficulty in care and lack of movement. Patients usually die due to lung infection or other systemic diseases. Advancing age is the factor that most significantly increases the risk of disease. However, there is no rule that it will be seen in every aging individual. Since research has shown that people with first-degree relatives with Alzheimer's disease have half the risk of developing the disease by the time they reach the age of 80-90, it has been accepted as a risk factor for those with a family history.
Dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease, To protect yourself, it is very important to keep your body and mind as fit as possible. Causes that can lead to atherosclerosis, such as excess weight, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, lack of exercise, and high cholesterol, predispose to the disease. It is important to adopt the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in grains, fish, green vegetables, fruits and olive oil, while avoiding solid fats. Participating in any kind of work that will keep the mind clear is especially effective as a protector. Regardless of age, learning new things by being curious is very important for mental health.
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