Skip to main content

A guide to vascular dementia in the elderly


Vascular dementia is a medical term that is given to a psychological condition commonly observed in the elderly. This condition refers to the increment in the loss of memory and other cognitive functions caused by vascular injury or disease within the brain. The condition is the second leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease in people over 65 and affects more men than women.

Vascular dementia


Causes of vascular dementia

Strokes cause an interruption in the blood risk of the area of ​​the brain in which it occurs so that if it is prolonged more than it should, the lack of oxygen supply can occasionally kill the affected brain cells.

Brain microinfarcts affect small areas, but the lesions end up having a summative effect and the symptoms of vascular dementia end up appearing to a lesser degree. It should be noted, therefore, that heart attacks that do produce symptoms (paralysis, partial, loss of sensation, speech difficulties, etc.) can also contribute to the birth of vascular dementia.

As with all cardiovascular diseases, there are a number of risk factors that are predisposed to vascular dementia: diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, arteriosclerosis, etc.

Vascular dementia symptoms

The symptoms of vascular dementia appear gradually as brain microinfarctions occur:
  • Difficulty in remembering names of people and familiar objects.
  • Problems in carrying out tasks that used to be simple.
  • Deterioration of the sense of orientation leading to getting lost on habitual routes. 
  •  Misplacing things.
  • Losing interest in things that used to excite you.
  • Behavioral disturbances.
  • Loss of social skills.
As vascular dementia progresses, these symptoms not only become more evident but also worsen and interfere with the patient's ability to care for himself:

  • Forgetting things that just happened (immediate memory).
  • Altered sleep patterns
  • ·         Trouble doing basic tasks (eating, washing, etc.)
  • ·         Delusions and sensitive hallucinations.
  • ·         Depression.
  • ·         Aggressiveness.
  • ·         Not knowing how to recognize danger.
  • Language problems (confusing sentences, incorrect pronunciation, etc.)
Vascular dementia treatment
There is no possible treatment for vascular dementia since the brain lesions caused by microinfarcts are irreversible. However, it is possible to prevent its aggravation by avoiding new strokes by correcting the aforementioned risk factors, be it with dietary measures, specific medications, quitting tobacco and practicing exercise regularly.


Likewise, drugs can be used to control some symptoms, such as behavioral disorders, aggressiveness, depressive episodes, agitation, sleep disturbances, etc. in the elderly. You can find more information about vascular dementia in elderly by visiting the website www.elderlylovedones.com online.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Commonest Aging Medical Conditions & Diseases Affecting the Aging People

Let’s face it; a lot of aging medical conditions & diseases commonly affect the elderly. It is quite troublesome watching your loved one succumbing to one or another disease. Here is a list of a few aging medical conditions & diseases that may help prepare for the worst for the elderly: 1. Cancer. it is among the most terrible of all the diseases. More than 2/3 of the elderly go through this disease. Lung and breast cancer are the commonest ones among the elderly. While cancer is thankfully successful nowadays, yet the success rate is quite low in the elderly. Regrettably, the success rate of senior citizens is also very lower when it comes to undergoing the process of chemotherapy. Early diagnosis of cancer enhances the odds of a complete recovery. Thus, any anomaly should be checked out right away by a medical professional. 2. Dementia. A host of senior citizens generally go through Dementia . Dementia takes place because of having no connections betwee...
Post a Comment
Read more

Elderly care at home with the ultimate elderly care services

Elderly care can be an extremely challenging notion, especially if the individual is resistant or reluctant to ask for assistance. Aging comes with a variety of diseases such as dementia, stillness, diabetes, and even kidney disease in elderly . Therefore taking care of the elderly is often hard yet of critical significance. At the crossroads, family members must conk out the opposition and help the individual acknowledge the transformation required. Having a straightforward and comprehensible conversation with the senior living community about their needs and help them crystallize their doubts in leading a life depends on some salient factors. Ensure that the elderly individuals are pertained to remove their fears and crystallize their doubts to create a wholesome and neat home ambiance. To become aware of the elderly individual's predilection about the nature of support services required. To provide assistance to all immediate family members or ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hypertension in elderly –Things that are commonly observed

Hypertension in elderly In general, people aged between 40 to 70 have high blood pressure ('hypertension'), and it becomes more common as you get older. Hypertension in elderly is quite common among people who are 70-year-old or more. Millions of people from all over the world take at least one blood pressure reducer every day. What is commonly observed?  Usually, you do not notice that you have high blood pressure. However, it does not mean that high blood pressure is not harmful or dangerous. Since the 1950s, various studies have shown that people with high blood pressure are more likely to suffer damage in many organs since all organs depend on good blood supply. High blood pressure mainly increases the risk of strokes, heart disease, kidney disease and display legs. It recently became clear that the brain is not only damaged by stroke hypertension, but also by a gradual decline leading to (vascular) dementia. A recent study shows that also for people wit...
Post a Comment
Read more