Old age is a difficult period in a person’s life, when not only his physiological functions, but also serious mental changes.
A person’s social circle narrows, health deteriorates, and cognitive abilities weaken.
It is during this period that people are most susceptible to developing mental illness, a large group of which are senile psychoses.
What is fairy tale therapy for older people? Find out about this from ours.
According to WHO classification, old age begins in people after 60 years of age, this age period is divided into: advanced age (60-70, senile (70-90) and long-lived age (after 90 years).
Major mental problems elderly:
Main question- how the person himself relates to this period and the changes taking place. Here his personal experiences, health and social status play a role.
If a person is in demand in society, then it is much easier to survive all the problems. Also, a healthy, cheerful person will not feel old.
The psychological problems of an elderly person are a reflection of social attitudes in old age. It may be positive and negative.
At positive at first glance it looks like care for the elderly, respect for them life experience and wisdom. Negative is expressed in a disdainful attitude towards the elderly, the perception of their experience as unnecessary and superfluous.
Psychologists identify the following types of people's attitudes towards their old age:
Thus, old man will behave in old age in accordance with his life lived, attitudes, acquired values.
As you age, your likelihood of developing mental illness increases. Psychiatrists say that 15% of old people acquire various mental illnesses. Characteristic of old age the following types diseases:
In medicine, psychosis is understood as a severe mental disorder in which behavioral and mental reactions do not correspond to the real state of affairs.
Senile (senile) psychoses first appear after age 65.
They make up approximately 20% of all cases of mental illness.
Doctors call natural aging of the body the main cause of senile psychosis.
Provoking factors are:
WHO developed in 1958 classification of psychoses, based on the syndromic principle. The following types are distinguished:
The clinical picture depends on the type of disease, as well as on the severity of the stage.
Symptoms of the development of acute psychosis:
Acute psychosis lasts from several days to a month. It directly depends on the severity of the somatic disease.
Postoperative psychosis refers to acute disorders mental disorders that arise within a week after surgery. The signs are:
This state can last continuously or be combined with periods of enlightenment.
It lasts quite a long time, while the patient retains all cognitive functions.
However, the patient retains self-care and socialization skills.
Hallucinosis. In this state, the patient experiences various hallucinations: verbal, visual, tactile. He hears voices, sees non-existent characters, feels touches.
The patient may communicate with these characters or try to get rid of them, for example, by building barricades, washing and cleaning his home.
Paraphrenia. Fantastic confabulations come first. The patient talks about his connections with famous personalities, ascribes to himself non-existent merits. Delusions of grandeur and high spirits are also characteristic.
What to do? A consultation is required to make a diagnosis. psychiatrist and neurologist.
The psychiatrist conducts special diagnostic tests, prescribes tests. The basis for diagnosis are:
Psychoses are not characterized by severe mental disorders; they increase gradually as the disease progresses.
Treatment of senile psychoses combines medicinal and psychotherapeutic methods. The choice depends on the severity of the condition, the type of disorder, and the presence of somatic diseases. Patients are prescribed the following groups of drugs:
The doctor selects a combination of drugs according to the type of psychosis.
It is also necessary to treat a somatic disease in parallel, if it appears cause of the disorder.
Psychotherapeutic sessions are an excellent remedy for the correction of psychosis in the elderly. In combination with drug therapy, they provide positive results.
Doctors mainly use group classes. Old people, studying in groups, acquire a new circle of friends with common interests. A person can begin to talk openly about his problems and fears, thereby getting rid of them.
Most effective methods psychotherapy:
Senile psychoses- this is a problem not only for the patient himself, but also for his relatives. With timely and correct treatment, the prognosis for senile psychosis is favorable. Even with severe symptoms stable remission can be achieved. Chronic psychoses, especially those associated with depression, are less responsive to treatment.
The patient's relatives need to be patient, show care and attention. Mental disorder is a consequence of the aging of the body, so no person is immune from it.
From this article you will learn:
The processes of withering of the human body normally become more active after the age of 40, but in our time even people 20-30 years old are predisposed to ailments characteristic of the elderly. This is due to environmental degradation, low quality products, bad habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. Which ailments can be recorded as diseases of older people?
According to statistics, today every sixth person in Russia is elderly.
Pronounced signs of physiological aging are changes in appearance, psyche, performance, etc. As a rule, such manifestations occur in people over 60 years of age. However, in reality, the process of withering begins when the body stops growing and developing. Thus, already at the age of 30-35, the level of biological processes decreases significantly, and diseases of older people arise. By the way, the rate of aging depends on the adaptive capabilities of the body.
Diseases in old age are characterized by a slow onset; the first signs, as a rule, are not very pronounced, but rather vague. The period of “accumulation” of diseases begins at the age of 35-40, and only in old age do these diseases manifest themselves. Diseases of an elderly person are often completely invisible in youth, but they fully make themselves felt in old age.
Over the years, the number of chronic diseases increases, but the number of acute ones decreases. The point is that pathological processes, not cured in time, progress, symptoms and organic changes accumulate. In other words, diseases of older people do not appear suddenly; they simply appear when the body is weakened.
The causes of premature aging are previous diseases, bad habits, and unfavorable factors. environment. Due to poor nutrition and bad habits there is a decrease in the adaptive capabilities of the body. For this reason, diseases characteristic of old age develop.
Different tissues and organs of the body age differently. Gradually, the vitality of the body decreases. First, changes occur in protein biosynthesis, a decrease in the activity of oxidative enzymes, a decrease in the number of mitochondria, and disruption of the function of cell membranes. As a result, the cells are destroyed and die. This process occurs differently in different tissues and organs of the body. As a result age-related changes Severe illnesses in older people gradually develop.
Age-related changes lead to significant dysfunctions of various organs and systems of the body. This in turn causes structural changes in the body. For example, due to age-related changes, the mass of the brain decreases, the convolutions become thinner, and the furrows, on the contrary, expand. Gradually, the diseases of older people appear more and more clearly.
The main manifestations of the aging process are age-related changes in the central nervous system. We are talking about a weakening of the mobility of the processes of inhibition and excitation, disruption of the activity of the analyzers, a weakening of the sensitivity of smell, a decrease in visual acuity and the power of accommodation of the eyes. Of course, such changes in the body cause illness in older people.
The adaptive capabilities of older people, as a rule, are limited by senile changes in cardiovascular vascular system.
In old age, atrophic and sclerotic changes develop in endocrine system. The same goes for respiratory system. The respiratory rate increases, ventilation of the lungs decreases. The digestive and excretory systems, bone and joint apparatus are also affected by the aging process. Over time, there is a decrease in oxidative processes in the body, an increase in protein loss, and an increase in calcium excretion. By the way, the likelihood of developing cancer in older people is especially high.
Let's look at the most common diseases of older people and their symptoms:
We are talking about hyperlipidemia, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, and dementia. By the way, if you are caring for an elderly person, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with how first aid is provided for a heart attack. Such diseases of elderly people require immediate response.
Every year more than 15 million people die due to cardiovascular diseases. According to statistics, in developed countries, 10% of all funds allocated for health care are spent on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
As a rule, such diseases are a consequence of diabetes mellitus, constantly high cholesterol levels, smoking, obesity, and stress. Diseases of older people, the treatment of which is usually delayed, are mostly chronic.
The most common violations digestive system are poor appetite or its absence, flatulence, painful sensations in the abdominal area, disorders gastric juice, constipation. Such diseases in older people usually cause very discomfort.
People age gradually. Over the years, there is a decrease in the functions of the body as a whole, including the digestive system. Weakening digestive function very often expressed by discomfort in the stomach and intestines.
Older people's teeth weaken and fall out. They practically do not feel the taste of food, the muscles of the internal parts gastrointestinal tract partially atrophy, become less elastic, food moves and is digested slowly, and constipation occurs. Gradually internal walls the stomach sways, which causes atrophy of the digestive glands, the secretion of digestive juices decreases, and the stomach’s ability to break down food decreases. As a rule, a pensioner experiences unpleasant sensations, but does not understand what exactly is happening to him. He doesn’t even realize that diseases of older people manifest themselves in this way.
Frequent illnesses of older people, as already mentioned, are associated with digestive problems. About 2.5 centuries ago, the now world-famous ancient Greek scientist Hippocrates said: “The main cause of death is stomach and intestinal diseases, because they are the main source of evil.”
If you do not provide prompt and effective fight with gastrointestinal diseases, they can provoke erosion of the entire mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, ulcers and even lead to cancer.
The mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is exposed to environmental factors, drugs, alcohol, strong tea, too hot, cold, spicy food, contaminated water, pesticides, etc. B at a young age All this was easily tolerated, but an older person knows firsthand what diseases of the elderly are.
According to doctors, it is gastrointestinal pathologies that provoke hundreds of other diseases.
A healthy intestine and stomach allows the body to absorb nutrients and carry out safe release harmful substances and waste. In other words, if the intestines and stomach are healthy, this means that the pensioner’s health is in perfect order, and the diseases of older people do not bother him.
This is a problem that negatively affects the well-being and health of pensioners.
Young people sleep more deep sleep than the elderly. By the way, sound sleep is physiological need any living organism. And, if a person does not sleep for more than five days, this can lead to death and provoke illness in older people.
Persistent insomnia is fraught with the following consequences:
Common troubles modern man doctors consider infectious diseases and short-term injuries. In 2013, there were nearly 2 billion cases of pathogens in the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract.
Ordinary caries is also considered a serious problem. In 2013, dental diseases of older people, accompanied by all kinds of complications, were found in 200 million pensioners.
Thus, headache has become the number one problem on our planet for more than 2.4 billion people. Note that 1.6 billion of them are pensioners.
The main cause of long-term disability in the elderly is considered to be chronic severe pain in the back, major depressive disorder. These ailments are among the most common diseases in many countries.
Let us list other common senile diseases of older people included in this list. This list will probably surprise you a little.
Let's look at the 10 most common chronic diseases of older people, the treatment of which requires material and time costs:
If you have elderly people in your family, symptoms of diseases that are common in older people need to be carefully studied.
Alzheimer's disease in the elderly people is the most common form of dementia, that is, an incurable disease that is associated with degeneration of brain substances. Nerve cells are damaged, making the transmission of impulses difficult. As a result, memory is impaired and basic human skills are lost.
Alzheimer's disease in older people was first described in 1906 by the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who discovered signs of the disease in a 56-year-old woman. Since then, the disease has been studied, but its causes have not been identified to date. As a rule, the disease affects the cerebral cortex. The more impairments Alzheimer's disease causes in older adults, the more severe the symptoms. Biochemical studies showed that patients have poor production of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of acetylcholine. It is this substance that is involved in the transmission of impulses between cells.
According to statistics, Alzheimer's disease can occur in people of absolutely any age and social status. For example, cases have been reported in which patients aged 28-30 years old suffered from dementia, but most often the elderly suffer from this disease. There are more women than men among the patients.
The risk of developing the disease is high if a person is exposed to unfavorable factors. Let us list the main points that contribute to the development of this disease in older people:
Depending on the symptoms, there are early and late stages. Such diseases of elderly people are initial stage almost never show up. It may take several years or decades for the initial signs to appear. Sometimes such diseases of older people are not noticed and they believe that it is simply a matter of the natural aging process. The main symptom of Alzheimer's disease is loss of memory for events that recently happened. The disease is accompanied by anxiety and confusion.
In addition, the patient's attention is impaired, learning ability decreases, and problems with thinking appear. The patient is unable to find the right words and loses orientation in space and time. Amnesia also affects ordinary objects, and indifference to others appears. Neurotic states, depressive, and paranoid disorders are common at this stage. Such diseases of elderly people are practically untreatable.
On early stage senile dementia in some cases may be accompanied by a typical change in facial expressions, with the patient’s eyes wide open and him rarely blinking, which is called “Alzheimer’s” amazement. The patient becomes irritable, unclean, does not shave, does not wash, does not wear clothes. An elderly person is losing weight and is often bothered by dizziness and nausea. First, short-term memory is affected, then the patient gradually forgets events that happened not so long ago; echoes from childhood or youth are stored in memory the longest. Such diseases of the elderly are a real test for both the pensioner himself and his relatives.
As the disease progresses, the manifestations become more pronounced. The second stage is characterized by a violation of voluntary movements, speech, writing, and problems with counting and reading appear. Patients cannot remember the name of any part of the body, confuse right and left, and do not recognize their own reflection in the mirror. During this period, psychosis or epileptic seizures, somatic pathology may be associated. The person becomes more constrained. Such illnesses in the elderly greatly change patients and their behavior.
People with Alzheimer's walk shufflingly, cannot do household chores, and lose interest in everything. They often have hallucinations. The patient cannot recognize the area, etc. Sometimes, due to a hostile attitude towards the people around him, it is advisable to isolate him. Such diseases of older people are very dangerous, because the patient can behave completely unpredictably.
Alzheimer's disease in older people may worsen under the following circumstances:
Gradually, the patient's health condition weakens, as a result the patient loses the ability to self-care. The process of destruction of the nervous system sometimes lasts several years. Such diseases of the elderly bring suffering to both the patient and his relatives
Alzheimer's disease is a steadily progressive disease that inevitably results in disability and death. However, on initial stage you can slow down the course of the disease and alleviate the patient’s suffering. It should be mentioned that there are a large number of diseases that have similar signs, but quite treatable. Simple forgetfulness can be a sign of a disease in older people such as Alzheimer's disease, and delaying treatment is unacceptable. But only a doctor can correctly determine the diagnosis after a thorough examination, because the diseases of older people manifest themselves in different ways.
Brain damage, which occurs due to injury, viral infection, neurological diseases can cause dopamine deficiency. This is a hormone that is responsible for the psycho-emotional state of the patient. Lack of dopamine causes disruption of daily life and leads to slowly progressive Parkinson's disease. This mental illness- the most common brain disease.
According to many, Parkinson's disease is only for grandparents. This is not true: representatives of the younger generation can also get sick, which is largely due to genetic reasons. More than 85% of such cases are explained by heredity. The disease can develop as a consequence of a viral infection and infectious disease. For example, the flu increases the likelihood of illness by 3 times. The main causes of the disease are:
Parkinson's disease has pronounced symptoms. It is simply impossible not to notice elderly people suffering from this disease. However, at the initial stage the disease does not manifest itself much. Typically, anemia of the limbs and slight tremor of the hands are considered a consequence of fatigue. However, we recommend contacting a specialist if this happens often, as these signs may indicate such terrible disease older people.
Over time, Parkinson's disease in older people begins to manifest itself as follows:
In the last century, people affected by the disease did not live for a long time, Although medicinal products treatments for this disease in older people have been known for a long time and to this day form the basis of the treatment of the disease.
Such diseases of older people gradually lead to the fact that the quality of life of patients noticeably deteriorates over time. However, the problem lies not even in the disease itself, but in the complications to which it leads. Patients can live a long time, but impaired coordination of movements leads to falls and broken limbs. Sometimes they are unable to swallow food, which can result in fatal outcome. It is important to understand that without ongoing care such patients cannot do without it.
It is important for the patient's relatives to remember that a person suffering from Parkinson's disease usually retains mental abilities. The patient realizes that he is helpless and falls into depression because of this, which entails a worsening of his condition and further complications. You need to care for the patient, of course, constantly, but unobtrusively.
Often, loving relatives fail to provide sensitive treatment and care for the elderly person. If your grandfather or grandmother has Parkinson's disease, it is better to place him in a specialized institution where qualified doctors and nurses will monitor his condition.
As a rule, over the years, in older people, tissues become less elastic, joints become angular, and muscles and cartilage become flabby. Many pensioners complain of joint pain. Painful sensations can be caused by a variety of reasons. By the way, problems with joints often bother young people.
As previously mentioned, painful sensations in the joints can be caused by the most various factors. It is often extremely difficult to determine what exactly causes the disease. For example, the causes may be inflammatory processes, impaired metabolism, or a degenerative process. About 70% of patients over 65 years of age have osteoarthritis. This disease spreads quickly and progresses, causing defects in the motor activity of the joints.
Let's consider the main features of diseases of older people, namely osteoarthritis and gonarthrosis of the knee joints:
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint has the following symptoms:
The most common disease affecting the mobility of the elderly is arthritis. This disease damages the joints and is characterized by pain. The most common types of disease are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Joint diseases in older people develop in stages. For example, osteoarthritis can take a long time to progress. The fact is that the interarticular cartilage linings are gradually destroyed. Often the disease affects the joints, which are exposed to heavy loads. We are talking about the joints of the hands, knees and hips. Sometimes joint diseases in older people affect only one side.
The most common disease among older people. This disease leads to inflammatory processes in the joints and in the body as a whole. Thus, people with arthritis experience swelling of the joints, redness, and pain that worsens at night. The cause of this disease is infection of the patient. It also happens that arthritis appears due to impaired metabolism.
The changes that occur with arthritis don't just affect your joints. Often the disease affects the patient’s overall health. For example, disturbances in the functioning of the heart, liver, and kidneys may occur. It is necessary to understand that arthrosis is more common than arthritis in the elderly.
Formed as a consequence of age-related changes. Very often this problem concerns the shoulder, knee, elbow or hip joints. It is in them that numerous cracks appear. In addition, arthrosis may well affect the fingers of the upper and lower limbs, ankle joints.
Note that in a situation where joint diseases in older people have already been diagnosed, it is important to promptly begin treatment in order to slow down the progression of the disease. An elderly person needs to do light exercises and consume natural food, containing a large amount of vitamins.
Heart disease in older people is the most common ailment in people of this age category.
Stable increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg. Art. The development of arterial hypertension is due to genetic factors and factors external environment. External risk factors are considered: age over 55 years for men, 65 years for women, smoking, obesity, increased level cholesterol above 6.5 mmol/l, unfavorable family history of heart and vascular diseases, glucose sensitivity disorder, high fibrinogen, sedentary lifestyle, etc.
In old age arterial hypertension appears most often as a consequence of atherosclerotic damage to blood vessels.
This is hypertension in which systolic blood pressure increases while diastolic blood pressure remains normal, resulting in a large difference between systolic and diastolic pressure. Increased systolic blood pressure at normal diastolic pressure is caused by the presence of atherosclerosis in large arteries. If the aorta and arteries become affected by atherosclerosis, they lose their elasticity and ability to stretch and contract. If you measure a patient's blood pressure, the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure will be about 190 and 70 mmHg. Art. If your relative is concerned about similar diseases of older people, we recommend regularly monitoring blood pressure levels.
Let's consider 3 degrees of increase in blood pressure:
Patients with high blood pressure complain of headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, and spots before the eyes. By the way, a severe headache, which is accompanied by dizziness, nausea, and tinnitus, may indicate hypertensive crisis. In addition, patients are often bothered by painful sensations in the heart area and rapid heartbeat.
Elderly people suffering from atherosclerotic hypertension do not have objective symptoms. As a rule, signs of the disease appear only when blood pressure numbers increase significantly. That is, diseases of older people are most often diagnosed later, which means treatment begins at the wrong time.
Often elderly patients do not have any complaints, even if blood pressure rises significantly. Patients feel well at pressures of 200 and 110 mmHg. Art. The diagnosis of such patients is often made under random circumstances, for example, during a regular examination by a doctor. Many patients believe that in the absence discomfort with high blood pressure indicates a benign course of the disease.
This opinion is completely wrong. Such a hidden course of the disease is dangerous because a person who is not bothered by painful pain symptoms, is in no hurry to see a doctor and get treatment. As a result, therapy is started late or not at all. According to doctors, the risk of developing vascular accidents in such patients is higher than in people with normal blood pressure.
Measuring blood pressure in elderly patients has its own characteristics. In older people, the walls of the brachial artery are significantly thickened due to the development of atherosclerotic processes in it. In this regard, when measuring pressure, it is necessary to create a higher level of pressure in the cuff to compress the sclerotic artery. If this is not done, the result will be overestimated. This is called pseudohypertension.
In addition, blood pressure in older people should be measured while lying down. By the way, if your relative is worried about similar diseases of older people, we recommend keeping a blood pressure monitor at home.
Arterial hypertension must be constantly treated. Patients should take medications regularly, eat rationally, control body weight, and avoid alcoholic drinks, smoking. Patients are not recommended to take more than 4-6 g of salt per day.
Arterial hypertension is treated with various medications. We are talking about ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, diuretics, sedatives. These groups of drugs are often combined with each other, because diseases of older people require complex treatment.
Form coronary heart disease. Main sign- typical pain with angina pectoris. We are talking about pressing, squeezing pain behind the sternum, which occurs even with small physical activity, passing at rest, thanks to the intake of nitroglycerin. Painful sensations occur if insufficient oxygen is supplied to the heart muscle when the need for it is increased (for example, during physical exertion, emotional stress).
Angina attacks may also occur if an older person walks in cold weather or drinks a cold drink. Most often, patients know under what load angina attacks occur, that is, the patient knows which floor he can climb to without any consequences. By the way, if you are concerned about diseases such as angina, we recommend that you always have medications with you.
There is also unstable angina, in which chest pain can change dramatically. For example, it often happens that the distance that the patient walks without pain decreases, and nitroglycerin ceases to help, so the dosage has to be increased to relieve pain. The most dangerous situation is when pain appears at night. Unstable angina is always considered a pre-infarction condition, and, as a rule, the patient needs urgent hospitalization. Expressed pain syndrome requires taking nitroglycerin under the tongue. Do not give the patient several tablets at once. The patient needs to take 1-2 tablets, wait 15 minutes, then another one, wait 15 minutes again, etc. Nitroglycerin should be taken only by monitoring blood pressure, since it cannot be allowed to decrease.
If angina pectoris develops over a long period and there is no treatment, it is fraught with heart failure and myocardial infarction. Therefore, if you suspect the presence of a particular disease of the elderly, do not delay visiting a doctor.
It is important to understand that not all pain in the heart area is a manifestation of angina. Sometimes older people complain of pain that occurs in the left side of the sternum, which is aching in nature and intensifies with movement. As a rule, specialists are able to identify painful points by palpating the spine and ribs. In this case, we are no longer talking about angina pectoris, but about osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia, myositis.
Sometimes these diseases are aggravated by colds. Pain is treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes painful sensations appear after a heavy lunch, or more precisely, after the patient lies down after eating. This may indicate bloating and tension in the diaphragm. Elderly people often develop diaphragmatic hernia which are accompanied by painful sensations in the heart area.
Menopause in women is often accompanied by hot flashes to the face, a feeling of goosebumps on the arms and legs, anxiety, trembling, and pain in the heart area. As a rule, painful sensations are not associated with physical activity, but bother patients for a long time. Usually the pain goes away if a woman takes valerian tincture, Corvalol or Valocardine.
Angina pectoris is treated with nitrates, that is, nitroglycerin, hytrosorbide, erinite. By the way, these drugs often cause headaches, so doctors recommend taking additional validol. In addition, specialists prescribe medications that help lower cholesterol levels. We are talking about Vasilipa, Atorvastatin, etc.
A pathological condition that is caused by the fact that the contractile activity of the heart is weakened and blood circulation is disrupted. Typically, heart failure is preceded by the following diseases: IHD, heart defects, arterial hypertension, myocarditis, dystrophic changes myocardium, myocardiopathy.
At the initial stage of development of the disease, the ability of the heart to relax is impaired, diastolic dysfunction occurs, the chamber of the left ventricle is less filled with blood, which causes a decrease in the volume of blood ejected by the ventricle. However, at rest the heart copes with its functions. During physical activity, the heart rate increases, the total output of blood becomes less, the body lacks oxygen, and the patient develops weakness and shortness of breath. In heart failure, the patient's usual physical activity is reduced. Remember that if you suspect heart disease in older people, you cannot postpone a visit to the doctor.
Stands out acute And chronic heart failure.
Acute left ventricular failure is a consequence of stress on the left ventricle. As a rule, provoking factors are infectious diseases, physical and emotional stress.
The disease has the following symptoms: shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, suffocation, cough with light sputum, which sometimes has streaks of blood. Patients sit in bed with their legs down, as this position makes their condition easier. If treatment is not started in time, there is a risk of developing pulmonary edema. The disease progresses very quickly.
This is a common irregular activity of the atria. This condition occurs when an electrical impulse emanating from the pacemaker in the right atrium begins to wander through the conduction system of the heart. The impulses add up or cancel each other out. For this reason, chaotic contractions of individual groups of atrial fibers occur with a frequency of 100-150 beats per minute. The pathology is usually caused by organic damage to the heart: cardiosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, heart defects, coronary heart disease. Atrial fibrillation also occurs in the presence of additional conduction bundles.
Because of complete blockade conduction system of the heart, the impulse from the atrium may not reach the ventricle at all. In such a situation, the atria contract at their own speed, and the ventricles contract at their own, that is, much slower than usual. At the same time, the heart does not respond by increasing contractions to the need.
Atrial fibrillation is divided into constant and paroxysmal.
Let's look at how these heart diseases manifest themselves in older people. The paroxysmal form occurs against the background of some provoking factor. For example, the heartbeat may increase if an elderly person is nervous. At such moments, the patient feels interruptions in the functioning of the heart, he is worried about shortness of breath, weakness, and sweating. An attack can occur either at rest or while taking medications. You can help a sick person by pressing firmly on the eyeballs, painfully massaging the supraclavicular area, quickly squatting the patient. Such techniques have a positive effect on cardiac activity.
The permanent form of arrhythmia is characterized by the constant presence of arrhythmic heartbeats, sinus rhythm with this form it is not renewed. In such a case, doctors strive to ensure that the rhythm ceases to be rapid - no more than 80-90 beats per minute. With permanent form atrial fibrillation the patient always feels disturbances in the functioning of the heart, shortness of breath during physical exertion. Pulse examination reveals pulse waves different contents, non-rhythmic. If you compare the pulse rate and the heart rate, you can find a difference between them in the direction of increasing the heart rate. This phenomenon is called “pulse deficiency.” It detects the ineffectiveness of certain heartbeats. The fact is that the chambers of the heart do not have time to fill with blood, as a result of which an empty “pop” occurs. In this regard, not all contractions are carried out to peripheral vessels.
The prolonged course of a permanent form of atrial fibrillation leads to the progression of heart failure.
Atrial fibrillation is treated with cardiac glycosides. We are talking about corglycon, digoxin, etc. In addition, therapy involves the use of beta blockers, that is, atenolol, concor, etacizin, etc.
With a complete blockade of the conduction pathways of the heart, blood pressure sharply decreases, the frequency of heart beats decreases - up to 20-30 beats per minute, and the symptoms of heart failure increase. A patient with newly diagnosed complete heart block must be hospitalized, since otherwise the development of myocardial infarction may be missed. Today, treatment consists of installing an artificial pacemaker, which generates electrical discharges and stimulates heart contractions. The device is sewn into the patient for 5-8 years. This elderly person is forced to stay away from areas with high magnetic fields and may “interfere” with radio and television reception if he stands near an antenna. Heart disease in older people requires special attention to the patient and constant care.
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At any time of the day or night, elderly people will always be helped, no matter what problem worries them. Everyone in this house is family and friends. There is an atmosphere of love and friendship here.
From this article you will learn:
Where do mental disorders come from in older people?
What types of mental disorders can occur in older people?
What are the symptoms of mental disorders
What treatment is used for reversible and irreversible mental disorders
How can you prevent mental changes?
How to care for an elderly person with mental disorders
A favorite of family, friends and colleagues, the 60-year-old elegant lady was congratulated on her anniversary. To the phrase “We wish you everything that life is rich in...”, she reacted like this: “I don’t expect anything, because what else can you find after 60, except Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s?” This approach is very wrong. Of course, older people are much more likely to mature age or young, mental illnesses are detected. Unfortunately, immunity to mental disorders does not exist. It is impossible to say with certainty who will be affected by this problem and who will avoid it. All that remains is with special attention treat your elderly relatives, yourself, know general signs mental disorders in older people and seek medical attention in a timely manner.
There are people for whom old age suits them: their hair may be gray, but their eyes glow with peace and wisdom. Yes, the body of older people loses strength, bones become thinner, blood vessels become thin, slow blood circulation does not nourish the skin, it becomes dull and withers, muscles are not strong, and vision is not pleasing. But these people find strength in themselves and adapt to the changes that have occurred. Some do exercises to maintain muscle tone, others make it a rule to take daily walks in the fresh air and saturate the body with oxygen. There are many vitamin complexes for the health of an elderly person. All the measures used are often aimed only at maintaining physical strength; we not only forget that the psyche requires enhanced support, but we don’t even realize.
In old age, there is a process of decline in vital functions not only of the physical body, but also of mental strength. There are a few optimists among older people from whom we need to take an example. They maintain fortitude, control their will, are not afraid to change something in their lives, and encourage others. The majority resign themselves to the fading of their strength, their gaze is directed only back to the past, they do not want to see the future, pessimism evokes thoughts of death, of life without them, the strength of older people simply melts away with such thoughts. Constant anxiety provokes the appearance of mental disorders and general deviations mental health.
Mental illnesses of late age are divided into:
Reversible, which do not lead to dementia (they are also called involutional functional);
Irreversible, these are organic psychoses, they arise from destructive process in the brain and may be accompanied by severe intellectual impairment.
1) Neuroses. Widely known neuroses. What happens to an elderly person? He complains of heaviness, noise in the head, in the ears, ringing is disturbing, and due to dizziness, staggering is possible when standing up suddenly or walking. An elderly person gets tired quickly, so he needs periodic, unscheduled sleep. Night sleep is disturbed, impatience, irritability, and resentment increase. Irritated by bright light and loud sound. Mental health treatment is required, but it is done on an outpatient basis.
2) Depression. From bad mood No one is immune; in old age you need to learn to avoid it. If a depressed, melancholy state lasts for weeks, you need to sound the alarm, most likely it’s depression. Anxiety gives way to emptiness, sadness and sadness manifest themselves in apathy, the meaning of life is lost. An elderly man feels sorry for himself in his own uselessness to anyone. Eating, walking, everything is done through strength. Unpleasant pain and sensations aggravate the mental state. Our old people are brought up by life in such a way that emotional experiences cannot be a disease. Only consequences, such as exhaustion due to loss of appetite, or frequent illness due to decreased immunity, can attract the attention of relatives or neighbors to the problem of an elderly person. Observe the elderly and show your participation if he: has become withdrawn, has changed his lifestyle, cries often, does not get out of bed for no reason. Do not ignore doctor's orders if you are diagnosed with depression. This is a serious psychological illness; now the meaning of this word is somewhat distorted, calling any decrease in mood depression. This is wrong. If depression is not treated with medication using psychotherapy, it can cause more serious mental illness in older adults. And they will bring a lot of troubles and troubles to the patient himself and his environment.
3) Anxiety. Anxiety is a normal state for any person, but if anxiety interferes with life, especially for older people, it should be talked about as a mental disorder. Constant anxiety is difficult to bear and is aggravated by excessive smoking, drinking, and excessive use of medications. A number of diseases such as diabetes mellitus and angina pectoris, bronchial asthma, strokes are also associated with the manifestation of severe anxiety. Of course, anxiety in the elderly may be a character trait that has intensified with old age or under the influence of life conditions. Again, if you look at the situation from the other side, it becomes clear that older people, losing physical strength, security, and social activity, really face a lot of alarming situations. These are serious illnesses, loss of contact with adult children, financial difficulties. It should be remembered that Anxiety in older people often occurs with other mental disorders. It often accompanies mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's dementia, depression, and is similar to symptoms of delirium or the “sunset effect.” It is important not to overlook the onset of more severe forms of mental disorders. Before treatment, you need to eliminate coffee, alcohol and heavy smoking, adjust the intake of existing medications, consult a psychotherapist. Sometimes this is enough to overcome a mental disorder such as anxiety in an elderly person.
4) Hypochondria. Everyone has met elderly people in hospital corridors who, as if on duty, go from one doctor to another. In the offices they complain about bodily ailments, incessant aches, twisting, and exhausting pain. Doctors do not find confirmation either in test results or in x-rays. That's right, because it is not physical diseases that need to be treated, but mental disorders - hypochondria. The age of an elderly person, due to aging, will give signals of malaise; if an elderly person’s fixation on bodily ailments becomes an obsession, treatment must be started. Self-medication is dangerous here. Hypochondriasis is characterized by a person's excessive fixation on their bodily sensations. and can lead to deep confidence in an elderly person about a fatal disease.
5) Manic state. A mental disorder that is dangerous not in itself, but as a result of its manifestation - manic state. An excited mood, excessive boasting, and inadequate self-aggrandizement are replaced by aggressive outbursts of anger in an elderly person. Fussy, always coming up with problems for relatives and friends, annoyingly talkative people, often elderly. Their conversation jumps from one topic to another, you don’t have time to insert a word, and it’s not necessary, the patient is busy with narcissism. It is not difficult to guess that such people most often end up in unpleasant situations, caught by scammers. Without feeling at all like a patient diagnosed with a mental disorder, he will not go to the doctor for a long time. The result in old age will be leapfrog severe depression with attacks of manic excitement.
6) Delusional state. The following type of mental disorder is often used in films to show a negative character, often an elderly neighbor. The phrase “What kind of nonsense are you talking about!” is a prophetic diagnosis: delirium. And in life, we often meet older people who start a scandal over every little thing. Delusional ideas are the main manifestation of chronic delusional disorder, a mental illness that often occurs in old age. Patients talk about sabotage, theft, and infringement of their rights. At first we somehow react, deny, try to explain what was wrong, then we simply try to ignore, but the flow of accusations, often without any basis, becomes more and more. The story of a family of three and a neighbor with a manifestation of mental delusional disorder formed the basis of the plot of one film. An apple that fell from a child and rolled across the floor seemed to the person living below to be moving furniture. The neighbor saw wet cleaning of the stairs in the entrance as a way of setting up an accident, because it was damp. The attempts of a non-conflict family to establish contact by treating them to hot cakes in the eyes of an elderly neighbor turned into an attempt at poisoning; calling an ambulance for a brawler turned into an attempt to illegally enter the apartment. We won’t retell the whole film, but the family had to look for another apartment. The new residents did not stand on ceremony with the sick elderly man, and he had to seek refuge with his recent “enemies” - former neighbors who convinced the elderly man of the need for treatment and supported him in a difficult situation. Our audience needs such films to see the problem of a sick person from the inside. He really hears other people's voices, sounds, steps, smells suspicious smells, and is surprised by the change in the taste of familiar food. This is his problem. Depressive experiences are added, and the person himself suffers for years and torments those around him. The only question is the correct treatment of a mental illness, but for this the patient needs to be convinced, and this is very difficult to do. Your concern again transforms into a delusional idea to “heal” him.
After adequate treatment, older people with manifestations of delusional disorder return to a normal lifestyle; in case of relapses, they are not afraid to return to treatment.
As a result of dementia, organic personality and behavior disorders occur. These are serious, irreversible diseases. More often this happens in adulthood.
Dementia (dementia) does not occur suddenly, the development of a mental disorder occurs slowly, from minor manifestations to severe deterioration mental state. Dementia can cause two types of disease: total and lacunar. Total speaks for itself: it is a complete defeat of all body systems. An elderly patient loses his personality, does not understand who he is, does not retain information, is helpless and inadequate. Lacunar dementia is characterized by milder losses: memory is lost, but partially, the person does not lose his “I”.
Degenerative dementia is represented by: organic mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease and senile dementia.
1) Senile dementia
With this mental disorder, there is a complete (total) loss of intellectual capabilities. The patient's behavior is unpleasant: constant irritation, grumbling, suspicion. Memory fails, and what happened is clearly remembered for a long time, but the events of yesterday are erased. Interestingly, the gaps are subsequently filled in by fantasies, which causes delusions. Mood swings, inappropriate behavior an elderly person, there is a complete lack of analysis, no prediction of actions. The patient pours hot tea on the floor and brings an empty mug to his mouth, expecting a cold drink. Instincts manifest themselves frighteningly brightly: either total loss appetite, or overeating with impossible satisfaction of hunger. Sexual instincts increase sharply.
What can be done to help a patient with senile dementia? Only with patient care. There is no cure for this mental illness.
2) Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease develops gradually.
It is necessary to pay attention to the decline in the memory of an elderly person for long-standing and close events. Absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, confusion in past and present affairs are the first “bells” of mental illness. The sequence of events is disturbed, it is difficult to navigate in time. A person changes, and not in better side: becomes selfish, intolerant of objection. Prolonged depression, sometimes delirium, hallucinations are also symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, signs of dementia become clearly visible. Elderly patient disoriented in time and place, confuses names, does not remember his address, often gets lost on the street, and has difficulty determining his location. Patients are unable to name their own age and confuse the main points of their lives. There is often a loss of real time: they see themselves and speak on behalf of the child, they are sure that their long-dead relatives are in good health. Normal skills are impaired: patients lose the ability to use household appliances and are unable to personally dress or wash themselves. Concrete actions are replaced by chaotic wandering and collecting things. A person has difficulty counting and forgets letters. Speech changes. First, the vocabulary is significantly impoverished. Current actions in a conversation with an elderly patient are replaced by fantasy stories. Over time, speech becomes more meaningless, the patients' expressions consist of fragmentary words and syllables. In advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, patients completely lose the ability to exist without outside help, there is no meaningful speech, motor activity chaotic or suspended.
The problem is that early signs mental disorders, illnesses (weakened memory, changes in character) often pass by the doctor. Relatives attribute them to approaching old age. It's no secret that Treatment started early in Alzheimer's disease is most effective. Thanks to modern medications, this mental disorder can be significantly alleviated.
3) Vascular dementia It can be caused by pathology of cerebral vessels, manifests itself in impaired cognitive functions, and rapidly progresses. Suffering social adaptation. The symptoms of this mental disorder are very similar to those of Alzheimer's disease, but are mild. Memory impairment, errors in a person’s awareness of time and space can be abrupt and change throughout the day. The distinction between these two diseases must be made as early as possible, since the approaches to their treatment are fundamentally different.
4) With damage to the brain, loss of a person as an individual, it makes sense to talk about Pick's disease. The capabilities of the intellect remain unchanged; the patient is able to count and remember dates, events, and facts. He speaks well and uses his vocabulary, which has remained unchanged. What was damaged? An elderly person began to be bothered by anxiety, constant presence in stressful situations, irritability, and does not calculate the consequences of actions.
Treatment and disease progression for this mental illness directly depend on the location of the affected lobe of the brain. The disease has no cure. With the help of medications, the course of the disease slows down.
5) Parkinson's disease
Symptoms of the disease become noticeable to others when all early stages of treatment are missed. The disease can live in the human body for several years without showing itself. Everyone has experienced hand tremors; if you add to it anemia of the limbs for a long time, then it is better for an elderly patient to make an appointment with a doctor. If this is not done, then there will be a lack of coordination when moving, a decrease in reaction, and movements will become slower. Sudden changes in pressure cause fainting, depression ends in severe depression. What is characteristic is Most often, the mental abilities of a person suffering from Parkinson's disease are intact. This, in turn, has its downside. Elderly people, seeing the progress of the disease, their helplessness, and the futility of treatment, usually fall into a severe form of depression. The quality of life of elderly patients, of course, deteriorates, but this is not the main thing. WITH modern medicines the patient lives a long time, but the danger lies in uncoordinated movements, leading to fractures, falls, and difficulty swallowing food. Caring for an elderly person with a mental disorder must be extremely sensitive so as not to aggravate depressive moods. So that your troubles do not cause the elderly patient to feel guilty, it is better to find an opportunity to treat such a patient in specialized clinics.
Health problems in old age are common, so it is not possible to calculate a particular mental disorder or disease.
The cause of involutional disorders can be depicted as a formula: weakened mental health plus negative thoughts, stress and experiences. Not every nervous system can withstand neuroses and stress, constantly being in tension. Mental disorders are often superimposed on concomitant physical abnormalities.
Organic disorders have different causes. For example, lacunar dementia occurs against the background of lesions of the vascular system, infectious diseases, alcoholic or drug addiction, tumors, injuries. The causes of degenerative dementia are different, but it is known for sure that Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease are a consequence of damage to the central nervous system. Carefully study your pedigree, because having relatives with mental disorders increases your risk significantly.
A huge responsibility in recognizing mental disorders in older people lies with local therapists. Patients come with psychosomatic disorders, somatic complaints are often of an uncertain nature. The doctor needs to recognize hidden depressive disorders. Something like: tinnitus, heaviness in the head, dizziness, increased fatigue, staggering when walking, irritability, tearfulness, insomnia. Patients with mental disorders are prescribed outpatient treatment.
Great attention should be paid to the signs of depression; it is a symptom of many mental illnesses.
These diseases are characterized by mental disorders functions and memory.
Early signs Dementia should include disorientation in time and space, absent-mindedness, and forgetfulness. Memories from the past dominate, although this is natural for old age. In this regard, one must pay attention to unrealistic additions, delusions and hallucinations.
Elderly people with mental disorders get lost, forget their address and telephone number, and sometimes do not remember their name.
Mental disorders often lead to speech impairment. The vocabulary melts away, phrases are constructed meaninglessly, then only sounds remain.
On late stages people with dementia are dependent on their caregivers. They cannot move or eat on their own. Such patients with mental disorders are monitored for 24 hours.
Unfortunately, dementia cannot be cured. Although, if at the first signs you consult a doctor for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment, you can slow down the development of mental illness and make the life of the elderly patient and those around him easier.
Treatment depends on the mental illness. People with involutional deviations have a fairly high chance of successful treatment . These diseases are reversible. For example, depression, hypochondria, stress, and paranoia can be successfully corrected by a psychotherapist in combination with drug treatment. Sedatives, anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants prescribed by a doctor will help cope with mental illness. In cities there are group sessions with psychotherapists, this is a good reason to join forces for results.
Organic disorders based on any kind of dementia are irreversible. There are many techniques and therapies that are aimed at maintaining an adequate standard of living for as long as possible. The main thing is to preserve the consciousness and cognitive functions of a person suffering from mental disorders; various drugs are used for this. The huge problem lies in early diagnosis these diseases, since dementia is often passed off and mistaken for signs of senility and treatment is delayed.
Old age brings with it many diseases that we cannot insure ourselves against in our youth. Although there are ways to prevent involutional deviations. It is impossible to limit oneself to organic personality disorders in old people. But there are methods of prevention. To help your loved one maintain mental clarity for as long as possible, you need to understand the main factors that can be a stressor. In this regard, it is recommended:
Find new social circles, get involved in handicrafts, feasible physical education;
Prevent loneliness of an elderly person;
Help to cope with the loss of loved ones;
Prepare in advance for retirement, look for like-minded people, options for easier work, or hobbies;
Help an elderly person maintain their standard of living.
The main thing in old age for the prevention of mental disorders is communication with peers who have found their place in life in retirement. Health groups, dance studios, universities of the third age - there are many places where loneliness is not remembered. Grown-up children also need to remember their elderly parents and constantly support them with their presence (in person or by telephone). vitality elderly parents.
One of the most severe stressors is loneliness. For a lonely elderly person, time stands still. He watches the celebration of life and realizes that he is thrown out of this rhythm. Seeing the indifference of people, and especially loved ones, an elderly person comes to the conclusion that he is useless, which causes complex emotional experiences and anxiety. This provokes the emergence and development of mental illnesses . Marvelous , but older people who live with relatives are more likely to feel useless and unnecessary. How is this possible? It is not enough to place an elderly relative in your home; it is important to take time every day to listen to him, encourage him and show his importance to your family. Ask him for some simple help, do not refuse what he himself offers.
In ordinary life, we do not notice efforts aimed at self-care. Going to the grocery store, cooking lunch, washing your face, turning off the stove, closing the front door - all this becomes problematic for older people suffering from mental disorders. Providing the elderly with the basic necessities of life falls on the shoulders of caring relatives.
From experience with older patients with memory loss or impairment:
To better understand each other, instructions should be given in short and simple sentences.
Communication for a patient with mental illness should bring positive emotions, be friendly and at the same time confident and clear.
Information must be presented repeatedly, with reverse action, you must be sure that the patient understood everything correctly.
Reminders, assistance in remembering dates, specific places, names should always be patiently provided.
Always remember that a patient with a mental disorder is not able to remember instantly or respond to an answer in seconds; be patient in the dialogue.
Senseless bickering and discussions have a negative effect on an elderly patient; if you cannot distract the patient, make adequate concessions, at least partially.
Reproaches and discontent will be constant, you need to be prepared for this, perceive it easily and with an understanding of the situation.
Patients with mental disorders respond better to praise, become withdrawn, and stubborn if faced with criticism. Tell kind word, touch gently, smile encouragingly, if the patient fulfilled your request correctly, tried, made an effort for the result.
The organization of care must be correct. Compliance with the following points is mandatory:
Exact daily routine for the patient, changes are undesirable;
The diet is balanced, the drinking regime is without violations, exercises, walks are required;
Protozoa board games, crosswords, learning simple rhymes - forced activation mental activity must be discreet and motivated;
Concomitant diseases should be diagnosed and treated;
A thoughtful, functionally safe place of residence for an elderly patient;
A clean body, clothes, bed are mandatory conditions for minimal comfort;
Optimal time to sleep.
Who should care for a patient with mental disorders? If a relative does this, the elderly patient feels more comfortable. But if this is not possible, then we are talking about a nurse. In addition, with some mental illnesses, the patient does not recognize his relatives. A nurse (usually with a medical education) must be familiar with the course of a specific illness, mental disorder, be prepared for inappropriate actions of elderly patients, be patient, friendly, carry out medical procedures as prescribed by the doctor and care for the patient in everyday life. In a sense, by hiring a caregiver, you are providing your sick relative with more care and support, so there is nothing strange about this. They will give advice on selecting nurses in hospitals, clinics, and special agencies. Another form of care for older people with mental disorders is boarding houses and nursing homes. For example, help with illnesses vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, decreased mental activity, the boarding house "Autumn of Life" serves. Round-the-clock care from professionals, high-quality qualified assistance from doctors, provision of useful leisure time - everything that your loved ones who find themselves in a difficult situation need.
In our boarding houses we are ready to offer only the best:
24-hour care for the elderly by professional nurses (all staff are citizens of the Russian Federation).
5 full and dietary meals a day.
1-2-3-bed occupancy (specialized comfortable beds for bedridden people).
Daily leisure (games, books, crosswords, walks).
Individual work by psychologists: art therapy, music classes, modeling.
Having good mental health throughout life does not provide immunity to mental disorders in the elderly and old age. Older people suffer from mental illness much more often than young and middle-aged people. Thus, according to the World Health Organization, among older people, 236 out of 100 thousand people suffer from mental illness, while in age group from 45 to 64 years old - only 93.
However, one should not think that old age is inevitably associated with deterioration of health, including mental health. Many diseases of late age can be cured. It is important to be attentive to yourself and your elderly relatives and consult a doctor on time.
Meanwhile, older people turn to psychiatrists and psychotherapists half as often as the general population. People over 60 often do not notice their mental disorders or view them as an inevitable result of aging. Unfortunately, this completely wrong attitude also exists among relatives, who explain everything by their advanced age and think that nothing can be done anyway.
A characteristic feature of psychopathological disorders in old and senile age is the phenomenon of somatization, that is, the bodily expression of mental disorders. Such patients seek help from general practitioners, who cannot always recognize mental disorders in elderly patients, especially when it comes to depressive disorders and mild disorders of memory and thinking.
In elderly patients, they are widely represented various manifestations discirculatory encephalopathy, which is based on cerebral vascular atherosclerosis.
Characteristic complaints include a feeling of heaviness in the head, noise and ringing in the ears, dizziness, staggering when walking or getting out of bed, increasing fatigue even with light physical exertion. There is a need for daytime rest. Patients become irritable, impatient, do not tolerate noise well, tears easily appear in the eyes, there is a decrease in memory, and sleep is disturbed. Care in such cases is usually provided on an outpatient basis.
The most common mental disorder in older people is depression. The mood is low, characterized by a persistent feeling of melancholy or anxiety, a feeling of uselessness, hopelessness, helplessness, unreasonable guilt, loss of interest in former favorite activities, family, friends, work.
Decreased mental performance, which is based on an inability to concentrate, memory impairment and general disorganization mental processes, - can also be a manifestation of depression.
Depression can also have somatic manifestations: loss or, conversely, increased appetite, insomnia or drowsiness, constant fatigue, constipation, painful sensations, which cannot be explained by a somatic disease.
If you notice any of the listed symptoms in yourself or someone close to you, and they last more than two weeks, you need to seek help from a specialist. Don't ignore noticeable changes in the behavior or mood of your elderly relatives. These changes can be symptoms of depression, dementia, psychogenic-neurotic disorders. Many somatic diseases of older people are accompanied by mental disorders, and here the help of a psychiatrist is also necessary.
Proper treatment can lead to an improvement in the condition and return the elderly person to a full, happy life.
Old age is a natural and irreversible process that each of us will have to face at some point. Very often people, especially at a young age, have no idea what awaits them during this period. Some people imagine how they landscape a garden or host a large family, while others see old age as only a heavy burden.
In fact, the aging process depends on many factors; no one can know for sure what lies ahead. But you can familiarize yourself with the main problems of old age in order to prevent and recognize the disease in yourself or your loved ones in time. One of the most common problems is personality and behavior disorders in adulthood. What kind of disorders are these? How to recognize them and can they be cured?
To understand who is being threatened mental disorders late age, you need to decide what “late age” is? In the Russian scientific and medical community, it is generally accepted that all people over 60 years of age are considered elderly. Age is obtained through extensive statistical data, but people over 60 are not always in poor health, while those under 60 are in good health.
With age, changes occur in the body of every person. Hair turns grey, bones become more fragile, blood vessels become thin, blood circulation slows down, skin fades and wears out, muscles become flabby, vision declines. For some, these processes do not interfere with maintaining healthy image life, while others begin to suffer from concomitant illnesses. These can be physiological or mental illnesses that take away strength, preventing you from leading your previous lifestyle. Many of us have heard or read about physical illnesses, but mental illnesses often remain an unknown area. What happens to the psyche in old age?
All older people experience decreased mental flexibility as they age; it is difficult for them to maintain the same mood, adapt to new and unforeseen situations, and change the environment around them.
Old people often have thoughts about death, about relatives who will remain, about children and home. Anxious thoughts creep into your head every day, which, together with a loss of strength, provokes various deviations.
To understand how to distinguish between diseases, you need to know that they are divided into two types:
Mental disorders of late age that are associated with involution of the body are mental disorders that respond well to treatment without leading to dementia. These include:
Paranoia is a psychosis characterized by various delusional ideas that complicate the lives of old people and those around them. Many become suspicious, irritable, stop trusting their loved ones, begin to blame relatives for non-existent problems, and delusional ideas of jealousy arise. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by hallucinations: auditory, tactile, gustatory. They aggravate the symptoms and the conflict itself, since many older people regard them as confirmation of their suspicions. Before making a diagnosis, the psychotherapist must make sure that the symptoms that arise do not indicate a serious illness, such as schizophrenia.
Depression in older people is always more severe than in younger people. If this illness is not treated, it will continue for years, getting worse with each experience. Depression is characterized by persistent low mood, loss of strength, and reluctance to live and carry out everyday activities and responsibilities. Many are overcome by fear and anxiety, and negative thoughts creep in. Often the symptoms are similar to dementia: the patient complains of memory impairment, weakening of other mental functions. It is worth remembering that depression, even in old age, is highly treatable; there are many special medications and techniques.
Anxiety disorders are similar in their symptoms to depression: the patient is overcome by fear, anxiety, loss of strength, and lack of motivation. Previous responsibilities seem impossible, and they are accompanied by constant worry and negative thoughts. Even everyday activities cause fear and apprehension: going to the store, meeting relatives, traveling to public transport. Older people become restless and fussy. There is strong tension inside, which is combined with anxiety, which can ultimately lead to severe neuroses. The patient’s life revolves around an imaginary problem, which makes the previous, full-fledged existence impossible. Many neuroses are accompanied by somatic symptoms: tremors develop, abdominal cramps, headaches, and insomnia. 
Often anxiety centers around one topic - health. Over time, painful sensations arise more and more often, age-related diseases make themselves felt, which provokes many negative thoughts. Some people develop hypochondria against this background. This is a disorder that is characterized by a focus on one’s illnesses, a belief that something bad is happening to the body. Many begin to continuously visit doctors and undergo tests that do not confirm their fears. The absence of evidence of the disease convinces us not that it does not exist, but that we simply got a bad specialist. Continuous conversations about health and illnesses complicate communication with a hypochondriac; many try to distance themselves from contacts with such people. Hypochondria is accompanied by complaints of unpleasant, blurred and inexplicable sensations, low mood and irritability. This disorder complicates the patient’s life, as it takes a lot of effort, time and money. Treating hypochondria is not an easy but doable task. The main thing is to contact an experienced specialist.
Manic state is a dangerous and serious disorder for an elderly person. Patients with mania are always cheerful, talk uncontrollably and a lot, and are in a state of some euphoria. Patients do not realize possible consequences their actions, their high spirits can suddenly change to aggression and anger. Susceptibility to momentary impulses interferes with leadership normal life, such patients rarely seek help from doctors themselves, although they urgently need help. In such situations, there should be understanding people nearby who will take the elderly person to a psychotherapist.
Organic personality and behavior disorders in adulthood are severe, irreversible diseases that most often arise as a consequence of dementia.
Dementia is a dementia that does not occur suddenly, but develops gradually. At the first stages, the consequences of this deviation may not be very noticeable, but gradually they begin to worsen, aggravating the symptoms. The type of illness that dementia can cause depends on its type. There are total and lacunar dementia. Total dementia in older people is characterized by complete damage to various body systems. Carrying out even the simplest tasks becomes impossible, many experience the loss of their identity, forget who they are, and cease to adequately assess their condition. With lacunar dementia, partial memory loss and mental disorders are possible, which do not interfere with self-evaluation and maintaining one’s personality.
The main organic diseases that result from degenerative dementia are Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a mental illness that occurs when the central nervous system is damaged. It is characterized by a decrease in cognitive functions, loss of individual character and personality traits, and behavioral changes. Initial signs illness: memory impairment, which manifests itself in the form of difficulty in remembering past and current events. Older people have difficulty concentrating, they become forgetful and distracted, and many current events are replaced in their minds by past moments. Some people stop recognizing loved ones and see them as departed relatives or old acquaintances. All events are mixed up in time, and it becomes impossible to determine when a certain situation happened. A person may suddenly become rude, callous, or absent-minded and carefree. Sometimes the first signs of Alzheimer's disease are hallucinations and delusions. It may seem that the disease progresses almost instantly, but in fact the first stage of the disease in older people can last up to 20 years.
Gradually, the patient ceases to navigate in time, gets lost in memories, and cannot answer basic questions. He doesn’t understand who he is, what year it is, where he is, who surrounds him. The previous course of life becomes impossible, since even everyday affairs are fraught with many difficulties. Dementia gradually worsens: writing and arithmetic skills are lost, speech becomes scanty and condensed. Many people can't remember simple concepts to describe your condition and feelings. Over time, old people begin to suffer motor function. The disease is irreversible; without proper supportive treatment, it progresses rapidly, leaving the patient bedridden with a complete loss of mental and psychological functions. 
Pick's disease is a mental illness that occurs when various lesions brain section. This deviation, even in its early stages, is characterized by a rapid loss of the core of personality. Mental functions can remain practically unchanged for a long time: the patient can count passably, remember names, dates, events, reproduce memories in the correct order, his speech practically does not change, his vocabulary may remain the same. Only the character changes significantly. The patient becomes irritable, aggressive, stops thinking about the consequences of his actions, and succumbs to anxiety and stress. The course and severity of Pick's disease depends on which part of the brain is initially affected. The disease is irreversible, but an acceptable level of life and consciousness can be maintained with the help of special therapy.
Organic disorders also include the phenomenon of senile dementia. This deviation is associated with a total loss intellectual abilities, some mental functions. The person becomes irritable, suspicious, often grumbling and indignant. Memory gradually deteriorates, mainly current events suffer, and memories from the past are reproduced quite accurately. Gradually, the gaps in memory are filled with false memories. Various crazy ideas arise. The mood can suddenly change to the opposite. The patient ceases to adequately assess his condition, is unable to compare elementary situations, and predict the outcome of obvious events. Some people with senile dementia experience a disinhibition of instincts. A complete loss of appetite is possible, or vice versa, a person cannot satisfy his hunger. There is a sharp increase in sexual instincts. This can be expressed both in the form of ordinary jealousy and sexual attraction to minors. It is impossible to reverse senile dementia; all that can be done is to maintain the proper standard of living for the patient.
In old age, it is quite difficult to determine what could cause any deviation. Deterioration in health is the norm, so it is not always possible to detect diseases in time.
Involutional disorders are most often the result of poor mental health in combination with negative thoughts, stress and experiences. Being under constant tension, the nervous system malfunctions, resulting in neuroses and deviations. Often mental illnesses are aggravated by concomitant physical abnormalities.
Organic ailments can have a variety of causes. For example, diseases caused by lacunar dementia are the result of lesions of the vascular system, infectious diseases, alcohol or drug addiction, tumors, and injuries. Degenerative dementia has not been fully studied, but it is known for sure that Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease are a consequence of damage to the central nervous system. In addition, having relatives with these diseases significantly increases the risk of these diseases.
Treatment for personality and behavior disorder in adulthood depends entirely on the type of disorder. People with involutional deviations have a fairly high chance of successful treatment; their illnesses are completely reversible. Depression, hypochondria, stress, paranoia are treated by a psychotherapist. In young people, everything is often limited to psychotherapy sessions, but in old age, sessions are almost always combined with drug treatment. These can be antidepressants, anti-anxiety and sedatives. Many people attend group psychotherapy. Gives a sense of community positive result in treatment.
Organic disorders caused by any dementia are irreversible. There are many techniques and therapies that are aimed at maintaining an adequate standard of living for as long as possible. Various drugs are used to help maintain consciousness and cognitive functions. The bigger problem is the diagnosis of these disorders - the signs of dementia are confused with the usual manifestations of old age, so the detection of diseases often occurs in the later stages.
It is impossible to limit oneself to organic personality disorders in old people. But there are methods for preventing involutional deviations. To help your loved one maintain mental clarity for as long as possible, you need to understand the main factors that can be a stressor. These include:
Many people find it very painful to leave labor activity, moving children, losing close friends. All these situations make one think that life is coming to an end, there are no more goals to strive for, there are no opportunities to fulfill many dreams.
One of the most difficult stressors is loneliness. It is isolation from society that gives rise to thoughts in people about uselessness, uselessness, and the proximity of death. Living alone, a person begins to think about the indifference of others and loved ones, about the fact that he is forgotten by his children and grandchildren. State constant anxiety and stress provokes aggravation of psychological illnesses.
We can conclude that overcoming the feeling of loneliness in an elderly person is possible if he lives with children, grandchildren, and other relatives. But practice shows that those elderly who live with relatives more often feel useless and useless. Many young people believe that by placing an elderly relative in their home, their duty has been fulfilled. But the point is not the physical distance between people, but the psychological one. It is the loss of emotional connection that forces old people to suffer from loneliness.
Pay attention to changes in the condition of an elderly relative, take an interest in his affairs and problems, ask for some little help so that he feels important and needed. If a pensioner is suffering due to loss of work, then try to find a replacement for his previous pastime: give embroidery or knitting kits, books, films, take him fishing and other recreation. All you can do to avoid personality and behavioral disorders in adulthood is to be open, honest and caring.
