How to alleviate senile dementia?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on December 27, 2024
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Dementia brings a heavy burden to both the patient and their family, severely affecting the quality of life. Fundamentally, there is no particularly effective treatment for this disease. To achieve relief, the following measures are recommended:

Firstly, it is generally necessary for the patient to take medication for treatment. Commonly used medications include cholinesterase inhibitors, which can increase the content of acetylcholine in the brain and can to some extent delay the progression of the disease. In addition, one can also take some NMDA receptor antagonists to improve dementia.

Secondly, encourage the elderly to learn more and read more, which can increase knowledge reserves and delay progression.

Thirdly, it is essential to encourage the elderly to go out and interact with others, and of course, precautions should be taken to prevent them from getting lost. In addition, they should engage in appropriate aerobic exercise.

(Specific medication use should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor)

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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symptoms of senile dementia

The symptoms of dementia mainly include the following aspects: First, there is evident impairment in cognitive functions, primarily involving memory decline. Initially, it may predominantly affect recent memory, with patients often forgetting recent events. As the disease progresses, they may start forgetting events from the distant past as well. Additionally, patients may experience a decline in calculation skills, judgment, execution, and comprehension abilities; their capacity to learn and work is comprehensively impaired. Spatial dysfunction can also occur, causing disorientation and frequent episodes of getting lost. Secondly, in the later stages, patients may display changes in behavior and personality, alongside corresponding psychological symptoms. For example, the patient might become aggressive, restless, and exhibit hallucinations visually and auditorily. Wandering at night is another common symptom. Thirdly, in the later stages, patients might show clinical signs such as muscle atrophy and paralysis. Incontinence is also a common symptom.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Late-stage symptoms of dementia

In the later stages of dementia, symptoms become very severe. Patients experience significant impairment in memory function, forgetting not only recent events but also events from the past. Additionally, patients show obvious impairments in visuospatial abilities, having trouble locating the bathroom in their own home, and often getting lost when they go out. There is also a noticeable change in behavior, with patients exhibiting aggression, cursing, and inappropriate actions like urinating or defecating in random places. Some patients may experience recurrent visual and auditory hallucinations. As the disease progresses, elderly patients may eventually become bedridden for life, not interacting with anyone, remaining silent, and refusing to eat. They ultimately may die from complications such as lung infections, urinary tract infections, malnutrition, and bedsores. Therefore, the symptoms of dementia in its later stages are quite severe, with cognitive impairments, abnormal mental and behavioral symptoms, and various infections all posing serious threats to the health of the elderly.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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progression of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly

The progression of dementia in the elderly mainly includes the following aspects. The first is the pre-stage of mild cognitive impairment, during which patients show no clinical symptoms. Some may only report slight memory impairment, with a possible slight decline in learning ability and a mild decrease in the capability to learn new things. As the disease progresses to the second stage, the period of mild cognitive impairment occurs, where patients will experience impaired memory, but it is not particularly obvious, and daily life is not affected at all. Then, entering the third stage, some periods of dementia occur, during which patients' memory, executive abilities, computational skills, and judgment are significantly impaired. Patients might even get lost or possibly forget their own names. As the disease further progresses into the later stages of dementia, the elderly may exhibit some psychiatric symptoms. They become delirious, talk to themselves, and may see things that do not exist. Eventually, the elderly may end up bedridden, with complications such as pulmonary infections and bedsores.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Early signs of dementia

Dementia in the elderly, mainly refers to Alzheimer's disease. Early signs of this condition may manifest as some forgetfulness. For example, a patient might forget to add salt while cooking, or forget to bring their keys when leaving the house. These clinical signs should be highly alarming and should not be dismissed as mere forgetfulness, ignoring further examinations and treatments. It is recommended that if the elderly show signs of diminished memory function, they should promptly visit a hospital. Comprehensive assessments and further tests, including brain MRI scans, should be conducted to check for significant atrophy in brain areas such as the temporal lobes and hippocampus. If dementia is diagnosed, prompt intervention and treatment should be pursued.

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Neurology
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How to care for senile dementia

In the later stages of dementia, patients exhibit a variety of clinical symptoms. For example, they may experience visuospatial dysfunction, primarily manifesting as getting easily lost, even within their own home, unable to find their bedroom. There may also be psychiatric symptoms, such as visual and auditory hallucinations, alongside significant changes in personality and behavior, making nursing care especially important. In caring for dementia patients, it is crucial to prevent the elderly from getting lost by placing a card in their clothing pockets, which should include a phone number and home address to prevent any accidents. Additionally, when elderly individuals are at home alone, it is important to ensure the kitchen door is kept closed to prevent them from entering the kitchen and accidentally turning on the gas stove and forgetting to turn it off, thereby avoiding unnecessary risks. If dementia patients exhibit psychiatric symptoms, it is essential to comfort them, and if necessary, consult a psychiatrist to administer appropriate antipsychotic medications. In the later stages of dementia, patients may become bedridden; at this point, it is important to regularly turn and pat their back to prevent lung infections and provide sufficient nutrition to avoid complications from malnutrition.