Suppressing symptoms makes therapy difficult

Delayed therapy: signs of dementia are often repressed

12/19/2011

Since dementia and Alzheimer's can not heal to this day, but can only be delayed in their disease process, the early diagnosis is of particular importance. However, many people at the earliest signs of neurodegenerative diseases shy away from the necessary visit to the doctor for fear of being diagnosed.

The first typical symptoms of dementia, according to the gerontologist and psychologist Richard Mahlberg, a private lecturer at the Institute of Psychogerontology of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, opposite „VIP News“ Often ignored by those affected. The suppression of the disease, however, has fatal consequences, since only with the help of early therapy in the interest of the patient, the disease can be delayed by several years. In particular, older people who notice signs of dementia should therefore, according to the expert, urgently have the physician perform a standardized memory test.

Signs of dementia are displaced
According to the Dementia Report 2011 of the Berlin Institute for Population and Development published in August, around 1.3 million people in Germany already suffer from dementia, two-thirds of them suffer from Alzheimer's. With increasing age, the risk of dementia increases significantly. This is how sick in this country, according to the statement of Richard Mahlberg around „One-third of over-85s are suffering from dementia.“ The most common form of neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer's dementia, is usually manifested in the early stages of the disease by memory disorders. In the course of the disease, Alzheimer's patients increasingly suffer from temporal and spatial disorientation, memory loss, confusion and the loss of previous knowledge or learned skills. In the later course of the disease a complete change of the personality threatens and the persons affected are usually permanently in need of care. Far too often, according to the expert, the first signs of the disease are displaced - with serious consequences.

Dementia risk increases with age
„Forgetfulness in everyday life“ According to Richard Mahlberg, it is not uncommon even in healthy people „If you lose your key once or even five times, you do not have dementia right away.“ However, warning signs such as increasing difficulties with names of acquaintances, misplacing items or general forgetfulness should be taken very seriously especially by people over the age of 65. Because with age, according to the expert, the likelihood that forgetfulness is a sign of dementia increases. According to Richard Mahlberg „A dementia syndrome is almost never before the age of 50 years and 50- to 65-year-olds are also rarely affected.“ From the age of 65, however, the risk of dementia doubles approximately every five years. Therefore, people over the age of 65 should urgently „Have a specialist make a standardized memory test“, when they notice, „that forgetfulness increases“, stressed Mahlberg.

Waiver of doctor visit for fear of diagnosis
Many sufferers are well aware of the disease risk, „but are afraid of a final diagnosis and do not go or very late to the doctor“, explained the gerontologist. Thus, the increasing memory lapses would be dismissed not only by those affected but also by their relatives as normal age complaints. For the experts an understandable but momentous reaction. Because only with an early diagnosis and promptly initiated, well-coordinated therapy, the disease process can be delayed by up to two years. The persons affected and their relatives should therefore react immediately to the signs of dementia and seek medical help in good time, the psychiatrist, psychotherapist and gerontologist said. med. Richard Mahlberg. (Fp)

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Picture: Gerd Altmann