When dealing with dehydration and dementia, it is important to learn strategies that can help to keep dehydration at bay.
Some of the most effective ones include:
Leaving a jug or glass of water within reach
If a person does not take enough water because of mobility issues, help them out by making sure water is within reach. It does not have to be a clear glass.
You can use a brightly colored cup so that it draws attention to the person who needs to drink the water.
If this does not work for a particular person, using a dark-colored cup can help make the drinking process easier.
Make sure the glass is not too heavy or has a weird shape. Straws might also prove to be helpful.
Prompt the person to take water
If a person with dementia does not take water because they are constantly forgetting, you should remind him or her to take a drink frequently.
Phone reminders can assist with this.
You may even have to call the sick person to remind them to drink water if you will be far away from them but still want to remind them to drink water.
You can even make this a sociable activity. This is where you pick something to drink and prompt the sick individual to also drink with you.
Do this several times each day when possible.
Eliminate challenges
Elderly persons with muscle weaknesses, arthritis, or Parkinson’s disease are at high risk of developing complications that come with dehydration and dementia.
This is because they may have a hard time gripping a cup or taking it to their mouth.
Offering no-spill smaller cups can give a solution, making the ill person more confident in their drinking abilities.
Finding Creative Ways to Slip Liquids into a Person’s Daily Activities
This is especially helpful for persons who refuse to take liquids.
Some of the options to explore include vegetables, fruits, hot chocolate, ice-cream, Jell-O, applesauce, and popsicles.
While it is best to drink clear water throughout the day, the sick individual may not have a taste for pure water.
Here you can try flavored water, herbal teas, and healthy juices to ensure a person gets enough liquid.
Review medicine interactions
Some drugs that people with dementia take may contribute to dehydration. These include both over-the-counter-drugs and prescription medication.
Review warning labels and consult your doctor if the sick person is taking medicines that cause dehydration.
The professional can change the drugs or advice on the best way to avoid dehydration.
Recognize early dehydration warning signs
Early detection of dehydration is the best way to give the person with dementia the help they need.
Go through the list of some warning signs above to treat the problem as soon as it manifests itself.
Avoid giving people with dementia alcohol, coffee, and high-protein drinks in large quantities.
These normally have diuretic effects, which lead to increased levels of losing water in the body leading to dehydration.
Dehydration and Dementia Final Thoughts
People caring for their loved ones with dementia need to be proactive when it comes to ensuring that sick individuals have enough to drink.
This is because a person with dementia may not always ask for a drink, hence end up suffering from the problems that come with dehydration and dementia.
Note that dehydration can lead to increased mortality rates.
It is important to understand what are the most beneficial vascular dementia treatment techniques and support since you can truly alleviate the condition.
Vascular dementia is a general term that represents one of the most common types of dementia. It occurs when the brain does not receive enough blood supply because of blood vessels that have been affected by the disease.
An illness that mostly affects seniors, it is said that one of out of four people above the age of 65 will get vascular dementia.
Unfortunately, there are still no approved pharmacological treatments available for anyone with this type of dementia.
This is not to say that individuals with the disease are usually left alone unattended.
There are several measures individuals with the illness and caregivers can take to manage the risk factors and health conditions that contribute to vascular dementia such as:
Best Vascular Dementia Treatments
Making Lifestyle Changes
The primary aim of vascular dementia treatment is to take care of any underlying causes that are making the condition to worsen.
One of the top things that a doctor may recommend is a lifestyle change for an individual with the illness. This usually involves a number of things such as:
Losing weight if a person is overweight/maintaining a normal weight.
Cutting down on alcohol intake or giving up drinking altogether.
Making healthy lifestyle changes is key to helping you maintain a healthy body that will effectively combat a majority of the health issues that are associated with vascular dementia.
These help to make day to day living a bit easier. Examples of such include:
Psychological therapies – These help to enhance problem-solving skills, memory, and language abilities.
Occupational therapy – Experts who facilitate this type of therapy usually identify the problem areas that individuals with vascular dementia face on a daily basis. It can include anything from dressing up properly to eating. The experts then offer practical solutions to tackle the problems amicably.
Physiotherapy – This typically helps the persons who have difficulties with movement.
Medication
It’s also common for people with vascular dementia to take meds as part of vascular dementia treatment.
These do not take care of the condition but help treat some of the medical issues that individuals with the illness usually get.
Some of the most common medications that medics prescribe help to treat diseases like:
Anyone who is taking different types of medicines needs to communicate this clearly to their physician.
This way, the professionals will know the drugs to add or eliminate so that there is no interaction that will hurt the person with vascular dementia.
Managing Stress
Many people with vascular dementia go through stress for one reason or the other. Being stressed does not help at all because stress also contributes to other medical conditions like heart diseases and blood pressure.
You need to find ways to relax so that you can manage stress to avoid going through other medical issues because of stress.
There are a number of relaxation techniques you can try when you feel like things are getting out of hand. These include:
Yoga
Deep breathing
Meditation
Rhythmic exercise
You can also engage one or more of your senses i.e. taste, sound, sight, touch, smell, or even imagination to reduce stress at a given moment fast.
Engaging the Brain
Another option available for a person seeking vascular dementia treatment is challenging the brain. Understand that the brain remains capable for the entire lifetime of a person.
This simply means that a person can enhance the ability to retrieve and even retain memories. It’s advisable that a person with this kind of dementia sets some time either in the morning or in the evening to build memory capacity.
Activities that may help with this include learning new skills such as painting, a new language or anything else that interests an individual.
If you do this consistently, you will notice beautiful results after some time.
Having Fun
After a vascular dementia diagnosis, you may feel the need to sulk and get lost in a world of your own. It is important to fight this urge because it will do you no good.
After getting over the initial shock, it is vital to note that life must move on. If you do not want the disease to progress at a speedy rate, you must make a point of having some fun.
Happiness can be a game-changer inspiring lifestyle changes and may compensate for cognitive and memory losses as well as stop further strokes.
Join a Support System
It may be a relief to know that you are not the only person with vascular dementia. You can join forces with other people out there who share the same predicament.
It can help to make the burden even lighter as you interact with other people. Share your experiences as you tackle the journey ahead. Being in a group is therapeutic because you can also learn new ways of managing the condition.
You can look for a support group easily online to find the ones that are closest to you.
This way, you do not have to think about the troubles of traveling just to be with other people who share the same illness.
Create a Personal Support Network
Support groups are not all about people who share the same illness. You can also seek encouragement and assistance from other people such as:
Friends
Family
Church members
Colleagues
Neighbors
A spouse
Health care experts, etc.
If you are still not at the stage when you need round the clock assistance, spending time with other people that you love or care about can help you better cope with your condition.
Relying on one person may not really work out well especially if they are not professional caregivers.
This is why it helps to have more than one person to lean on. It even makes the other party more willing to spend time with you and offer the assistance you need.
Managing Memory Loss
Learning how to manage the symptoms of vascular dementia goes a long way as part of vascular dementia treatment.
One of the most significant symptoms has got to be memory loss. You must learn practical ways to manage this loss while staying as realistic and optimistic as possible.
While it may not be possible to bring back everything you have lost, it can still help to make a difficult situation more bearable.
Things you can do to help with memory loss include:
Using memory aids
Following regular routines
Clearly communicating your needs
Maintaining social activity
Being upfront about your current condition
Being patient with yourself
Accepting help when other people offer
Home Modifications
If a person with vascular dementia will be staying at home, it is best to create a stable and supportive environment where they will thrive without too many problems.
Modifying the home is one of the steps that help to reduce any potential stressors that may disorient or agitate the individual with dementia. Some of the things to remove from the house are mirrors that reflect other surfaces.
Also, items that can cause loud and identifiable noises, patterned wallpaper, and colors that contrast highly. If an individual has problems with moving around, they can transfer to the ground floor.
This way, that they are not always tasked with the responsibility of moving from one level to another.
Being Part of a Clinical Trial
The fact that there is still no definite vascular dementia treatment does not mean that researchers and other professionals are not out there trying.
If you are willing, you can become part of a clinical trial that is testing new interventions and treatments to help detect, prevent, manage, or treat the disease.
This, however, requires a lot of due diligence on your end. You must get all the information you need about a particular trial before deciding to be a part of anything.
Seek advice from your doctor on whether a specific study will be beneficial. Your loved ones can also help you make a wise decision about these clinical trials.
Nursing Home Care
Home care for some people who have vascular dementia may not be viable after a while. This means that you should look into nursing homes or any other types of care homes that will be able to accord the type of assistance you need.
Although it may be a hard decision to make at times, there are several good things to look forward to in such homes as:
Around the clock care.
Assurance that the individual with the condition is somewhere safe.
Interaction and social activities with other residents, and much more.
Be sure to do your homework well to find a suitable care home that will meet the needs of the individual with the illness well.
Lower blood pressure
Keeping your body healthy and fit is crucial when it comes to vascular dementia. That said, even when it comes to blood pressure, you need to keep it low.
Or, if you are a caregiver or a family member of a patient with dementia, you need to do whatever it takes to get the blood pressure down.
There are tons of different ways that help lover it. From increasing daily activities and losing weight to removing refined carbohydrates from the diet, eating less sodium and staying away from processed food.
Stop drinking alcohol and smoking is also a must. As mentioned earlier, reducing excess stress will also do you and the patient with dementia nothing but good.
Even though there is still no sure vascular dementia treatment, controlling the conditions that are associated with the illness can slow down the rate at which the condition worsens. At times, it may even prevent further decline.
People with the illness, as well as their caregivers, need to put their best foot forward to ensure that the individual ends up living a good life in spite of what is going on.
One of the topics that have taken the healthcare industry by storm is virtual reality dementia therapy.
Experts suggest that VR (Virtual Reality) can help make the lives of people with dementia a lot easier.
Several studies have been conducted in regards to this. We will discuss some of the findings below to uncover how VR can help persons with dementia.
Virtual Reality Can Support Dementia Patients
Help with the Recollection of Past Memories
When it comes to virtual reality and dementia, multiple studies indicate that VR can help persons with dementia recall memories easily.
VR is no longer a tool for gaming, but it is also invaluable for people who experience loss of memory.
Virtual reality experiences can help persons retrieve long-lost memories through the incorporation of novel stimuli that are usually challenging to access because of declining poor health or limited environments.
For instance, seeing a water body can remind a person of a vacation they once took at the beach. This is not only good for the ill individuals but the caregivers as well.
A majority of persons with dementia end up losing their mobility, especially during the latter stages of the illness. This usually creates a sense of loneliness that can lead to other medical conditions like depression.
Today, however, weak individuals can benefit from assistive technology like VR to age in place, even in scenarios where they can longer walk or drive with ease.
Even though virtual reality cannot replace going somewhere, it helps to bring the ideal location close to a person offering a much-needed lifeline to the outside world.
Many people can use VR to reconnect with places that they thought they would never visit again because of their current condition.
For persons who live in senior homes, caregivers can create a group virtual reality experience where many persons with dementia visit one place at the same time.
This creates a fun bonding experience where group members can talk about the things they are doing or seeing.
This is one of the perks of virtual reality and dementia. Even when the exercise is over, participants are bound to remain excited and want to talk about this experience for a long time.
Ease Some Symptoms
Many people who have dementia often experience symptoms like extreme mood swings, agitation, and stress.
Medics have already jumped into the VR bandwagon to treat anxiety and pain. Something that makes virtual reality a good fit for addressing some of the symptoms that dementia patients experience.
VR is known to calm ill persons. In some cases, it can make uncommunicative persons speak again. This happens when suffering persons get into a virtual world where they experience several calming scenes.
These scenes, which can be anything from a beachfront or a flower garden, help to interpose repetitive behaviors. Meaning, the person with dementia can take advantage of non-drug approaches to reduce stress levels and improve moods.
Tribemix, one of the companies that offer virtual reality experiences for individuals with dementia, reports a 70% stress reduction rate.
Aids with Caregiver Interactions
When talking about virtual reality and dementia, it is also important to note that this technology also helps impaired persons through their caregivers and professional healthcare providers.
This is through building empathy where other people get to experience what it is like to live with the illness.
An example is The Dima Lab, a virtual reality experience that was developed by Embodied Labs.
Caregivers use this to experience different kinds of conditions related to dementia via protagonists with diverse backgrounds. This allows persons to go through a more active role to experience what people with the disease go through.
This mainly stimulates the physical and mental challenges that persons with the illness get without the use of sensory stimulation instructions and devices.
It seeks to create more empathy and understanding of what persons with dementia face to help improve their lives.
Closing Thoughts
Virtual reality offers tons of benefits for persons with dementia. It can help people recollect memories, improve relations with caregivers, reduce agitation and other dementia symptoms as well as travel to their favorite destinations without leaving their house, among many others.
VR is continually improving, aiming to produce 360-degree videos that may allow engineers to tailor-make the virtual reality experiences for greater satisfaction as well as enhanced quality of life.
Despite all this, more research still needs to be done when it comes to virtual reality and dementia. This is because it is not a proven aid that a doctor can prescribe.
Nonetheless, persons with dementia can still use VR cautiously over short periods to see if it will be of any help.
Records from The Alzheimer’s Association reveal that about fifteen million people in the US actively participate as caregivers for people dealing with dementia.
It presents a wide range of challenges for both professionals and novices. This is because the illness comes with several symptoms like disorientation, inability to effectively communicate, and memory loss, etc.
That can take a toll on the person experiencing the condition as well as the individuals who provide regular care.
As a caregiver, your main responsibility is to ensure that the individual who is under your care remains as physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy as they can be.
While serving as a caregiver, it is vital to know how to deal with the issues that may crop up daily skillfully.
Below you will get to learn some priceless tips caregivers can employ to make the task at hand more manageable and fulfilling.
Best Tips When Dealing With Dementia
Understand that Patience is Paramount
A majority of people underestimate the level of patience you need to care for a person dealing with dementia. Note that an individual with dementia has to deal with the unexpected changes that are happening to their body.
They are continuously struggling to regain some of the skills they lose including thinking and speaking. It can make one feel agitated or hopeless most of the time.
This is why a caregiver needs to practice patience and try as much as possible to relieve the mental and emotional pressure that a loved one with dementia has.
Plan your time accordingly because rushing the individual you are caring for will not help much. It will only lead to more confusion between both parties.
Do Not Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Whether you are caregiving for a relative or you offer expert help, always be ready to accept support. Several support groups for family caregivers exist.
Search for the groups close to your location and pick the one you are most comfortable with.
Such groups are beneficial in that they create a safe space that caregivers can use to talk about the issues they have with other people who are in similar situations.
The interaction that happens in a group setting can also act as a learning environment where you can pick up one or more techniques to incorporate into your care plan.
Support groups are not a preserve for family members.
Expert caregivers can also join such groups where they can ask for assistance from colleagues, mentors, and other able individuals when facing challenging times.
Never feel bad for seeking a hand or wanting to talk to someone when things are tough.
Avoid Open-End Questions
It is advisable to limit the questions you pose to individuals who have dementia. When you have to ask questions, let them be simple queries that need a “yes” or “no” response.
Do not overwhelm the person who is under your care. Ask one question at a time and study the behavior of the respondent to know when it is time to go easy with all the questions.
Do Not Argue With a Person Who Has Dementia
Caregivers need to know that arguing with a person who is dealing with dementia is highly frowned upon.
Worth noting is that the brain of a person with dementia usually malfunctions.
This means that they may end up saying things that do not make sense or make false statements because this is what the brain is instructing them to do.
Express Love and Care Through Touch
One of the simplest ways to support a person with dementia is through touch. By holding their hands, you can share your love and assistance, making them feel better.
No one truly understands what goes through their mind; however, with simple gestures, you can help alleviate the condition they are experiencing both mentally and physically.
Even things like caressing their back or face, as well as brushing their hair and whatnot, all positively impacts the person.
Sometimes, the simples things have the biggest and the most positive effect.
It is not always about the treatment and the pills, expressing appreciation and care can be done in all sorts of different, drug-free ways.
Maintain Positive Healthy Relationship
Before you sign up as a caregiver, you must understand that at times the job can be harsh. It is, therefore, your duty to try and maintain a positive relationship with the person with the memory illness since there isn’t much they can do to control the situation.
Come up with creative ways to support the relationship so that both of you are happy.
As you are caring for an individual dealing with dementia, you may notice that the person you are caring for just wants to sit at home and lock out the entire world.
This is not good as it may end up doing them more harm than good. Encourage the person under your care to take part in physical outdoor activities if they are capable.
Start small even if it is just going out to walk for a few minutes. Numerous studies show that regular physical activity or exercise plays a significant role in living better with the illness.
Ensure you pick out activities that both of you enjoy. Remember to involve the person you are looking after to avoid forcing them to do something they do not want.
Break Down Activities into Manageable Steps
Rather than expecting the individual under your care to jump on a task and complete it right away, break it down so that they complete it in a series of steps.
Cheer the person on and tell them to do as much as they can without too much pressure.
If there are some steps they forget, gently remind them. Step in and offer assistance in the areas where he or she cannot complete an activity on their own.
Experts also advise on the use of visual cues when communicating with the individual because it helps show them what to do next.
Take Care of Yourself
It is not possible to properly look after a person when you are not in the best state yourself. You would rather have someone else take up the responsibility than end up suffering.
Take breaks when necessary and do everything in your power to be happy and positive. This may demand that you increase physical exercise, eat a balanced diet, meditate, or go for long walks in nature depending on what you like.
It is the only way you will be able to handle the “job” in the best possible way.
Create a Peaceful Environment
This particularly applies to people with dementia who still live at home. Go the extra mile to make sure that the person who is dealing with dementia gets to live in a serene environment.
Get rid of clutter in the room because this can overwhelm anyone even when they are not ill. Simply create a dementia-friendly home.
You may need to change the colors of the room where the person under your care spends the most time. This is because bright colors normally act as stimulants, while subtle colors promote calmness.
The use of pleasant fragrances from sachets and fresh flowers can also be aroma-therapeutic fostering a sense of peacefulness. If one wants to listen to music, let it be something soothing.
Avoid Power Struggles
The following has a lot to do with how you communicate with the person you are caring for. Your primary responsibility is to make them feel secure and happy.
Do not be the person who always nags and causes avoidable conflict. Learn to listen more with your heart, eyes, and ears.
It is also wise to respond with reassurance and affection because people with dementia often feel anxious, confused, and unsure of themselves.
Avoid trying to tell the person they are wrong because this will only make them feel worse. Be keen to pick on the feelings that the person you are caring for showcases and respond with physical and verbal expressions of support, comfort, and reassurance.
Sometimes something as simple as hugging, touching, holding hands, and praise can get the person to respond when all other avenues fail.
Schedule Routines Wisely
Many people who care for individuals with dementia will tell you that routines are vital to peaceful coexistence between caregivers and the persons they are looking after. When you are coming up with these routines, be sure to plan things well.
For instance, tasks like medical appointments and taking a shower need to be placed earlier on in the day. This is where a person is feeling most refreshed and alert.
Schedules should also not be rigid. Allow flexibility for some spur-of-the-moment activities or those rather tricky days.
Create Time for Reflection
As you are planning activities, it is vital to have some time for reflection.
This is particularly important in the early stages when the person has been diagnosed with dementia since most people usually have a hard time accepting the new developments.
Alter expectations and be ready to deal with fresh challenges with each new stage of the illness. Caregivers also need to find the strength to celebrate successes and mourn losses.
Maintain a Sense of Humor
Indeed, humor is important for any person looking after a loved one or client with dementia.
Tell jokes when possible being careful not to do this at the person’s expense.
Laughter has been known to be therapeutic for many people. Studies also confirm that it is beneficial to those with memory loss.
Laughing makes a person forget about their troubles for a while because it acts as a stress reliever. Laughter can also help relieve some of the pressure you may be feeling like someone’s caretaker.
Closing Remarks
Taking care of an individual who has dementia does not come naturally for most. Caregivers have loads to learn along the way as they spend time with people dealing with dementia.
It starts by having a deep understanding of the dementia process so that you can know the type of care to extend.
The care process, however, does not have to be stressful at all times.
You can work with some of the tips above to improve the quality of life of the person with dementia enjoying heartening bonding experiences for both of you.
For years, researchers have been investigating the link between the benefits of consuming walnuts and dementia lowered risk or treatment.
This is in a bid to identify foods or snacks that can either help prevent the development or progression of the illness. Professionals have been collecting data indicating that eating walnuts reduces inflammation and oxidative stress that builds up in the human brain as individuals grow older.
Many believe that oxidative stress and inflammation that occurs throughout an individual’s lifetime causes aging.
As time goes by, human bodies lose the ability to clean up the mess that occurs on a cellular level.
The build-up that occurs in the brain is partially responsible for the cognitive decline that elderly persons experience.
The concept of walnuts and dementia was borrowed from Greeks who believed in the “Doctrine of Signatures.”
This implies that a specific food item affects the body part that it resembles. For instance, walnuts resemble the brain; hence, walnuts improve brain health according to the “Doctrine of Signatures.”
Benefits of consuming walnuts
There are several reasons researchers consider the consumption of walnuts beneficial to persons who have dementia or are at the risk of developing the illness.
1. Walnuts have several components that are rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This helps to protect cells and fight off inflammation.
2. The nuts are a great source of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. These are no strangers to helping boost brain health according numerous studies.
3. Walnuts contain healthy fats that do a great job at nurturing the body’s cardiovascular and nervous system. Studies show that omega 3 fatty acids present in the nuts can improve things like blood pressure, abnormal heartbeats, and triglyceride levels.
4. English walnuts contain phytochemicals that include numerous polyunsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial for brain health.
5. Walnuts are rich in polyphenolic compounds that improve interneuronal signaling, reduce inflammatory and oxidant load on brain cells, and boost neurogenesis.
6. Walnuts contain huge amounts of PUFAs like LA and ALA that are known to boost brain function and health even when a person is aging.
7. The nuts have polyphenols that promote neuronal calcium homeostasis on the hippocampus and striatum regions of the brain. These are regions that are essential for secondary and primary memory functions.
8. Walnuts also contain melatonin a bioactive compound that is responsible for regulating circadian rhythms. A melatonin deficiency has been known to result in cognitive impairment and dementia.
Supplementation with walnuts can improve cognition
Both human and animal studies from various researchers propose that supplementation with walnuts in a person’s diet can improve cognition.
A diet that includes walnuts is said to have beneficial effects on learning, memory, anxiety, motor coordination, and locomotor activity. Human clinical trials also suggest that the consumption of walnuts is associated with improvement in memory and better cognitive performance.
Some experts through observational studies have confirmed that older people who eat walnuts tend to experience better brain function which can include better mental flexibility, faster processing speed, and improved memory.
Alzheimer’s is one of the most common causes of dementia. Below, you can find some of the studies that investigated the link between walnuts and dementia.
Studies on walnuts and dementia connection
A Study Citing Walnut Enriched Diet May Improve Memory
A study conducted by the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities confirmed what many experts say about walnut consumption and dementia. The researchers gave mice an equivalent of 1/4 cup of walnuts daily.
The professionals then tested their subjects to mazes and experiments that tested their psychomotor skills, coordination, and learning ability. The researchers found that the group of mice that were eating walnuts performed way better than the mice that were not on the diet.
Abha Chauhan the lead researcher was on record saying that there was a follow-up study suggesting that walnut extract could protect the brain from a protein known as beta-amyloid. This is the protein that often appears in the brain of individuals who have Alzheimer’s.
This is one of the discoveries that might help professionals with the development of novel treatments that can help people who have Alzheimer’s.
A Study Explaining Walnuts May Slow Cognitive Decline in At-Risk Seniors
A study conducted by researchers in Spain and California concluded that eating walnuts may help slow cognitive decline in elderly persons who are at risk. The study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explained that healthy seniors who consumed walnuts affected their cognitive function.
The study observed almost 640 free-living elders in California, Loma Linda, Spain, USA, Catalonia, and Barcelona. The test group ate walnuts every day for 2 years while the control group did not have any walnuts.
The principal investigator Joan Sabate MD, DrPH, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Loma Lina University stated that this was one of the most-controlled and largest trials that have been conducted in regards to the effects of nuts on cognition.
He further explained that even though the study produced a minor result, there may be better outcomes if the study was conducted for longer periods. Based on the findings, Sabate said that the need for more research to find out the perks of including walnuts in a person’s diet is still necessary.
Worth noting is that the research team was one of the pioneers to uncover the lowering effects of cholesterol when eating walnuts. These findings were published in 1993 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Additionally, researchers from Loma Linda University found that nut consumption relates to the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Closing Thoughts
Although numerous studies investigated walnuts and dementia, more research is still necessary.
The data collected through future research will ascertain whether or not the consumption of walnuts has a significant impact on brain function and health as people grow older.
Keep in mind that most studies confirm that the brain prefers the whole nut rather than the supplement.
You may be interested in reading more about the benefits of people with cognitive decline eating a variety of nuts and dementia.
This extensive overview of vascular dementia prognosis and progression gives you a better understanding of the development of the disease during the early, middle and late stages.
Vascular dementia is a condition that occurs when a particular part of your brain does not get enough nutrients and blood.
Also known as multi-infarct dementia, studies show that it has quickly risen to become the second most common cause of dementia in golden-agers.
Contributing factors
Several factors contribute to vascular dementia prognosis, such as:
Damage to the blood vessels from infections, autoimmune disorders, and atherosclerosis
Other causes
These usually lead to interruptions or decreased blood flow to the brain.
Brain cells need a constant supply of blood that transports nutrients and oxygen to function correctly and remain healthy.
A network of vessels known as the vascular system delivers blood to the brain. When the system does not work correctly, the blood vessels may become blocked or leak.
When this happens, blood does not reach the brain cells and if this happens continuously, the cells eventually die.
Death of brain cells comes with numerous health complications. Some of them include issues with reasoning, memory, and thinking. The three elements combined are known as cognition.
Vascular dementia is one of the most wide-spread
When these cognitive problems affect a person’s daily life, it is a strong indication that they have vascular dementia.
This is because there are no tests that show that an individual has the disease. Doctors will, however, study the symptoms that a person is displaying to confirm whether they have the condition or not.
The medical experts must first rule out any illnesses that have the same symptoms, such as depression or Alzheimer’s disease.
Thyroid and vitamin deficiencies, side effects of medications, or an array of infections may also cause symptoms.
Always take care of nutrients and proper brain blood flow
Now that you are aware of the likely causes of vascular dementia, let’s take a look at how the disease progresses.
Note that there is still no cure for people with this illness.
Although the disease progresses differently for different people depending on the underlying cause, genetics, age, and overall health, it can be divided into three stages that we will discuss below.
Vascular dementia prognosis in different stages
Stage 1: Early Stage of Vascular Dementia
During the initial stages of vascular dementia, regardless of the prognosis, a person is still able to function independently. In fact, most people may mistake the symptoms of this type of dementia to be those of normal aging.
For example, older people are known to experience slight lapses in memory, such as forgetting where they place things or have challenges finding the right words to complete a sentence.
During this stage, a person may continue working if they are employed or running a business without too much difficulty.
Many maintain a healthy social life and do not need much assistance with their day to day activities.
On average, the stage lasts anywhere from two-four years though it may be more or less for some people.
Symptoms
Some of the early symptoms that an individual may experience include:
Most people will not go to the hospital because the above symptoms are barely noticeable. This is not to say that a person is not aware that things are not the way they were before.
For your information, it is vital to get immediate medical attention when you notice that something is amiss. This is because the symptoms are an indication that there is a presence of brain damage that requires treatment.
During the initial stages, a person with vascular dementia may also be unusually emotional and prone to apathy.
A high percentage of people also have depression and anxiety, especially when they first learn about what is going on in their lives.
When this type of dementia comes about after stroke, a person may experience physical symptoms like problems with speech or vision and weakness of the limbs.
Rehabilitation can help such symptoms to improve or stabilize over time.
Stage 2: Middle Stage Vascular Dementia
With vascular dementia, the disease usually becomes worse after some time, particularly with the lack of proper treatment.
After finding out the possible vascular dementia prognosis and going through the initial stages of the disease, a person then moves on to the next phase of the illness.
At this stage, the symptoms that you experienced during the initial malady start to become more intense.
You might even find that you need more assistance with your day to day life because your level of independence starts to decline.
With most people, getting help from family and friends is still sufficient at this point without the need for professional home care. For some, it may be time to step down from responsible duties at the workplace.
Help is necessary for more daily tasks
Problems with communication, disorientation, confusion, reasoning, and memory loss escalate in a way that a person is not able to be as productive as they are supposed to be.
Many can handle a few house chores here and there, but may still need some support with a few areas in their lives.
Most of the time, individuals at this stage cannot fully complete jobs. You may find that something as simple as counting from one to ten becomes an uphill task for most.
Most individuals with vascular dementia will start pulling away from social life, knowing that the symptoms are becoming more visible at this stage.
Loved ones or caregivers may discover that a person is no longer interested in doing the things that they used to love. Most of the time, it is not because they no longer have an interest. It is because they fear embarrassment since they cannot enjoy the activities in the same way they did before.
It is also common for persons in the middle stage of the illness to experience paranoia, fear, and confusion. Some people even go through changes in sleep patterns.
There have been cases of people who experience seasons of decline in cognitive abilities; then a period of stability followed by another step down in regards to cognitive skills, then stability, etc.
This is known as the “stepwise” or “step-like progression” pattern.
Stage 3: Final/Last Stage of Vascular Dementia
When a person who has vascular dementia continues to age, vascular dementia prognosis becomes more severe as the individual waits for their final resting day.
This stage is usually quite severe to the extent that most people cannot survive on their own.
They typically require constant care from expert caregivers.
An individual can either get this at home or move into a facility that specifically takes care of residents who have vascular or other types of dementia.
Unfortunately, a person predominantly experiences negative effects in different areas of their life. This can include:
Significant issues with communication to the point that a person only uses expressions or words. Some may not be able to communicate anymore verbally.
Memory becomes worse. An individual may not recall what you have just told them or even recognize people that they love.
Some people with the illness may become bedridden where they are not able to walk requiring extensive assistance to move from one point to another.
Feeding and swallowing may also become a big issue for people who are in their last stages of vascular dementia.
People with the illness tend not to have any judgment or even proper problem-solving skills.
Most individuals in this final stage cannot be part of community affairs that are outside their care home.
Many will also require assistance with bathroom issues because they are often incontinent.
Severe vascular dementia can also cause abnormal reflexes and muscle rigidity. Persons with the illness are also more prone to infections like pneumonia.
Closing Remarks
When it comes to vascular dementia prognosis, it helps to note that the symptoms of the disease usually get worse over time.
It is something that can happen in sudden steps or gradually every few months or years. Knowing the stages that people go through is vital to understand how to take care of yourself or your loved ones.
Worth noting is that everyone has a unique experience when dealing with the illness.
It is essential to seek medical advice from a professional as soon as you suspect the early symptoms of vascular dementia. The doctor will put you on a treatment regimen that may slow down the progression or prevent it from getting worse.
Researchers also agree that taking good care of the brain and the heart when you have this type of dementia can help slow down progression.
Even though the brain can repair itself to a certain level, the condition can still shorten a person’s lifespan.
This may be even shorter if a person has another heart attack or stroke that causes additional brain damage. The seriousness of this disease affects a person’s prognosis.
