How Does Homeopathy Help in Dementia?

What Happens in Dementia?

Dementia is basically a mental health disorder where there is gradual degradation and depreciation in the normal functioning of the brain. Primarily, memory is afflicted, and as a consequence of which, daily activities of patients are severely affected. Dementia is a broader term for the following set of symptoms:

1. Changes in reasoning capabilities.

2. Changes in perception.

3. Changes in thinking ability.

4. Loss of memory.

5. Poor attention or concentration.

6. Judgemental capability is affected.

7. Confusion with time and location.

8. Difficulty completing familiar tasks.

9. Difficulty solving problems.

10. Withdrawal from social activities.

11. Problems with spaces and images.

12. Unfounded emotions.

13. Feeling of loneliness.

There is a gradual rise in the number of dementia cases every year globally. Largely it affects older adults. Because of this problem, a person is not in a condition to think, behave, and feel normal. He or she becomes dependent on others for their small needs to be met.

Dementia involves progressive disintegration of cognitive function. In simple words, we can say the thinking ability of a concerned person is impaired. And as a result, a person suffering from dementia lives a very difficult life, and at the same time, the entire family and caregiver's lives also get affected. These people are not able to manage their works alone. Research shows that every few seconds someone somewhere in the world gets affected by this problem.

The causes and presentation of illness are different in different individuals. When it starts to develop, neither patient is aware of the problem nor any other family member. There is normal or mild forgetfulness, and symptoms are not so much evident in the initial stages. The disorder develops very slowly, and it becomes noticeable and apparent subsequently. When the forgetfulness worsens gradually, it is felt that some problem is there. In the initial stages, the patient generals leave something in the wrong places and then forgets where one put it. He or she forgets time and completely loses track of time. He or she does not recognize well-known familiar places.

As disease advances, it becomes more hampering, and the patient's concentration is affected, which restricts various activities of day to day life. The patient starts forgetting names, forgets events of recent origin, his or her communication is affected, difficulty finding the right words, asking or repeatedly speaking, feeling lost at home, and exhibiting behavioral changes. The patient's memory for recent events gets affected, he or she finds it difficult to travel alone, and they seem to be withdrawn from the family. When dementia gets progressed to advanced stages, we see that the patient is unmindful of time and place, he fails to recognize close friends, relatives, has trouble walking, becomes more dependent on the caregiver for his or her day to day activities, and may need assistance for his tasks.

Patients might also exhibit some personality changes, such as they speak very less, display anxiety, apprehension, nervousness, and restlessness, they may be suspicious, and sometimes they become agitated. Then apart from this, they suffer from incontinence, clothes get soiled, and they feel helpless.

In advanced stages, dementia patients show almost complete loss of psychomotor skills. Their walk is affected, will stumble, or find it difficult to walk without any support. Sometimes they may show disbalance, walk very slowly, and are unable to walk fast. They are unable to sit up without assistance, and there is a loss of facial expression. At this stage, they need full-time support and require full-time supervision. It really requires a lot of patience on the part of the caregiver or family person who attends dementia patients. All they need is love, care, affection, and family time.

What Are the Causes of Dementia?

In dementia, there is a decline or deterioration in the normal functioning of one's brain. This results in impaired thinking and disturbed reasoning capabilities. It is not a disease, but actually, a group or cluster of symptoms brought on by various conditions. The degeneration of the cerebral cortex commonly causes dementia. The cerebral cortex is responsible for memory, thoughts, actions, and speech. Deterioration of brain cells in this particular part of the brain leads to the development of dementia.

1) Degenerative Causes -

• Alzheimer's - causes problems with memory, reasoning, communication, and language gets affected.

• Frontotemporal dementia - progressive degeneration of frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These parts are crucial for decision-making skills, language, emotions, etc.

• Huntington's disease - is an inherited genetic condition that causes dementia.

• Parkinson's - defective thinking and reasoning in people having Parkinson's disease.

• Lewy body dementia - a build-up of protein bodies into clusters and cause hampered brain functioning.

2) Vascular Causes - Disturbance in blood supply to brain cells due to various conditions results in vascular dementia. There is difficulty with motor skills, balancing of the body is affected, and impaired or flawed judgment skills. Examples include:

• High blood pressure.

• Irregular heart rhythm.

• Damage to brain arteries from the disease.

All these can finally lead to dementia.

3) Other Rare Causes of Dementia -

• Toxic (alcohol).

• Metabolic.

• Vitamin deficiencies.

• Infective.

• Endocrine.

What Are the Factors That Increase the Risk of Dementia?

1. Inflammation.

2. Blood pressure.

3. Blood sugar.

4. Obesity.

5. Stress.

6. Genetics.

7. Sedentary or lazy lifestyle.

How Can Dementia Be Prevented?

• Adopting a healthy lifestyle.

• Consuming a healthy balanced diet.

• Exercising regularly.

• Being physically active.

• Relaxing or de-stressing the mind and body.

• Getting good quality sleep.

• Enjoy social activities and social engagement.

• Look after your heart health.

• Limit alcohol intake.

How Is Dementia Diagnosed?

Diagnosing dementia requires a careful and detailed medical history. Finding out the onset of symptoms, duration of symptoms, and the progression of symptoms. Complete physical examination and brain scanning (MRI and CT) should be done. Mental ability tests should be conducted to assess cognition capabilities.

How Is Dementia Managed?

Dementia is basically a loss of brain function. In this disease, the patient's thinking, communication, and memory are affected. A person with memory impairment more or less behaves like a child. There occurs memory impairment, along with many major changes in personality. They have trouble expressing themselves. Most of their actions are like that of a child, and they crave attention. As a thumb rule, they have their own dignity and never shame them, never humiliate them, and never criticize them. We need to be patient, gentle, and loving towards them. They need to be dealt with utmost love, care, dignity, and respect.

In the early stages, they have self-protective denial. They are aware and mindful that something is wrong with them. But at the same time, they are frightened or scared to deal with this reality. As the disease progresses, they reach that stage where they have no awareness at all regarding their problem. Then they live more in the present and are most of the time joyful like a small child. Never get irritated, replying to what they say, instead revert patiently. Do not get frustrated with them. Just assure them lovingly.

Homeopathic Treatment:

Homeopathy is effective in managing symptoms related to dementia.

• Mercurius - Used for patients who are submissive by nature, have lost sense of decency, have weakened memory, heavily coated tongue, foul odor from the mouth, and bad breath.

• Nux Vomica - Useful for patients who are very attention-seeking by nature, very sensitive to other's actions and words, angry, vindictive, and quarrelsome. He or she may have suicidal thoughts but lacks courage.

• Ignatia - Given for patients who are grieving or depressed.

• Calcarea Carb - For patients who are forgetful and very slow learners.

• Lycopodium - Patients who are sad, depressed, and constantly worry about themselves. They are constipated, angry, and irritable.

• Staphysagria - Helpful for patients who find it hard to sleep, are cowardly, afraid, anxious, apprehensive, and full of disgust, shamefulness, and shy. Patients who prefer to remain alone than be in the company of others.

• Chamomilla - For patients who are angry, irritable, and very sensitive.

Conclusion

Even though dementia has the potential to be a permanently crippling condition, it has shown good response with customized homoeopathic medication, which reduces behavioral problems as well as cognitive failure. To evaluate any relapses, a lengthy follow-up is necessary. To evaluate the possible therapeutic advantages of homoeopathic therapy, well-designed, methodologically sound research are required.