Dementia, which involves a decline in cognitive abilities, is an important condition that affects quality of life.
Dementia is a term describing symptoms and signs that affect cognitive functioning. It is characterized by symptoms such as memory loss, impaired thinking skills and difficulty in performing daily tasks. Brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies often cause dementia. Although this condition is associated with aging, it can occur at any age. Early diagnosis and appropriate care help reduce the effects of the disease.
What are the Symptoms of Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for a severe and persistent decline in cognitive abilities caused by different diseases. Dementia is characterized by significant losses in cognitive functions that affect a person’s daily life and impair their ability to function. These losses include areas such as memory, thinking, concentration, language and problem solving. Symptoms of dementia include:
Memory Loss: The person may have difficulty remembering daily events. In particular, the ability to learn and remember new information may be reduced.
Decline in Mental Skills: Thinking, planning, decision-making and problem-solving skills may be reduced. It can be difficult to make simple calculations and rational decisions.
Language Problems: Difficulty finding and expressing words. Speech fluency, comprehension and communication may be impaired.
Time Perception Problems: The person may lose themselves or have difficulty recognizing familiar places. They may also find it difficult to manage time.
Changes in Personality and Behavior: Changes in personality can be observed. Unusual behavior, social maladjustment and anxiety may increase.
Difficulty doing everyday tasks: Difficulty doing daily routine tasks at home or at work. They may find it difficult to remember simple tasks.
Disorientation and Disorientation Problems: The person may get lost in familiar places and have difficulty finding their way around.
Symptoms may vary from person to person. This is why it is important to see a health professional when signs of dementia appear. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can slow the progression of dementia and improve quality of life. Through telehealth, remote patient monitoring and online health counseling, people with dementia can be more accessible at home.
What are the Causes of Dementia?
Dementia is a condition that occurs when the communication between nerve cells in the brain is disrupted and nerve cells are damaged. It is not based on a specific cause, but can develop due to different underlying causes. Causes of dementia include:
Alzheimer’s Disease: One of the most common causes of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Due to abnormal protein build-up in the brain, nerve cells are damaged and brain function is impaired.
Vascular dementia: Damage to the brain and death of nerve cells as a result of blockages in brain vessels or reduced blood flow. Vascular dementia can develop after a stroke or as a result of vascular disease.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Nerve cells are affected by abnormal protein deposits in the brain called lewy bodies. This type of dementia is associated with Parkinson’s disease and can affect cognitive functions in addition to movement disorders.
Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia: Changes in cognitive functions and personality occur as a result of damage to nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobe regions. This type of dementia usually occurs at a younger age.
Genetic Factors: In some cases, genetic factors may play a role in the development of dementia. People with a family history of dementia may have a genetic predisposition.
Other Causes Other causes include factors such as brain tumors, brain infections, brain injuries and some metabolic diseases.
The factors that cause dementia can vary from person to person and often multiple factors come together to contribute to the development of dementia. Early diagnosis and treatment can slow the progression of dementia and improve quality of life. Telehealth services can facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of people with dementia by providing remote healthcare services.
Timely diagnosis and access to effective treatment are crucial in coping with cognitive disorders such as dementia. In addition to traditional medical services online doctor and online treatment apps can be a great support for people with dementia and their caregivers. Online doctor apps can facilitate home care while allowing patients to access remote counseling, monitoring and treatment. This improves the quality of life of people with dementia, while ease of access to medical services and rapid support are crucial for disease management. The expansion of online doctor and telehealth applications, especially for patients living in remote areas or with limited mobility, is an important step in the fight against challenging health problems such as dementia.
