Dementia in the elderly, if abnormalities are found, you must see a doctor immediately. Some can be fixed, and many can delay the disease if found in the early stages. Along with 11 recommendations for preventing dementia.
What is dementia?
Dr. Natthaphong Wongwiwat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Medical Services, said that dementia is a condition in which there is a loss of brain abilities such as memory, perception, understanding, language use, direction, reasoning and problem solving. There are changes in behavior and personality, which affect the ability to perform daily activities and socialize. Dementia is a condition that is closer to us according to the aging society.
In the past, we often believed that forgetfulness was normal for the elderly, and that it was age-related forgetfulness. However, this belief is not entirely correct. There are still some elderly people who have dementia. If relatives or close people pay attention to observing abnormalities and quickly bring them to see a doctor for diagnosis, some can be corrected and many can delay the disease if detected in the early stages.
Causes of dementia
Dr. Sakarn Bunnag, Director of the Somdej Phra Sangkharat Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medical Services, added that the causes of dementia are due to many important factors, such as brain cell degeneration, vitamin B1 or B12 deficiency, brain infections, metabolic system disturbances in the ยูฟ่าเบท https://ufabet999.app body, brain tumors, etc. The most common types of dementia are Alzheimer’s and cerebrovascular disease.
11 ways to prevent “dementia” in the elderly
Although some causes of dementia cannot be completely prevented, such as genetic Alzheimer’s, prevention has been found to reduce the risk of developing dementia, including:
- Choose the right foods, eat on time, and avoid foods high in fat.
- Get enough sleep
- Control your weight to not exceed the standard.
- Avoid coffee or drinks with high caffeine content.
- Do not smoke or stay in places with cigarette smoke. Do not drink alcohol.
- Try to train your brain to think often, such as reading and writing often, playing trivia games, and counting backwards.
- Exercise regularly, 3-5 times a week.
- Meet and talk with others often, find activities to relieve stress, such as joining a senior citizen club, or volunteering at a hospital.
- Annual health check
- If you have a chronic disease, you must follow up with treatment regularly. In addition to taking medication as prescribed by the doctor, you must change your behavior to control the symptoms of the disease, especially heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- Be careful of brain injuries, especially falls.