Do you want to avoid dementia? You must know the greatest enemies of the brain.

Dementia, also known as dementia, is caused by a disease of the brain. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, so according to A. Vaitkevičienė, a doctor at Vilnius Republican Psychiatric Hospital (RVPL), it is important to talk about the symptoms of vascular dementia, because recognizing them can delay disease progression.

The first symptoms of dementia.

According to Dr. A. Vaitkevičienė, the first signs of vascular dementia are often not pronounced, in society they can only be considered as personality deficiencies.

“The symptoms of vascular dementia are often emotional at first. Patients get excited quickly, they can start crying even for good things. These people get angry easily, tears appear easily, but when they change the topic of conversation, they also recover quickly. Changing the subject suddenly changes a person’s emotions. He is happy again, his mood improves as soon as he distracts, – said psychiatrist A. Vaitkevičienė.

“Another thing, a person tends to pay close attention to detail, is very meticulous, can analyze endlessly and tells him to name a set of circumstances that are not fundamentally important.”

According to the doctor, another sign of vascular dementia may be increased irritability: “The patient may be more sensitive even to climatic changes. In psychiatry, it is very common to notice that when the climate changes, a person becomes more irritable and has difficulty concentrating. “

Harmful habits increase the risk of getting sick.

Although vascular dementia is usually diagnosed in old age, brain changes start much earlier, which can be influenced by unhealthy lifestyles and harmful habits.

Excessive alcohol consumption, smoking worsens the prognosis for the future, increases the risk of dementia.

“It just came to our attention then. Smoking has a negative effect on coronary vascular dementia because it stimulates the formation of sclerosing plaques in the blood vessels,” said the psychiatrist.

According to A. Skurvydas, a professor at the Lithuanian Sports University (LSU), another enemy that promotes the appearance of neurodegenerative diseases is stress.

“Stress is the biggest killer in our brain and mind. It weakens the branches of neurons in our brain, destroys the neurons themselves, but can be restored by moving, thinking, feeding and living a healthy life, “said the professor.

“The most important motor in our mind is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for the executive function of the brain. When it is in good condition, we can concentrate, blocking all other unnecessary stimuli. It is responsible for good memory and helps to move with flexibility from one thinking object to another. It is physical exercise that helps maintain good brain function and improves blood circulation, “said Professor A. Skurvydas.

Future predictions are improving in sports.

According to the professor, studies show that the moderate, or less than optimal, intensity of physical activity lasting approximately 45-60 minutes improves blood circulation, the brain and the function of the prefrontal cortex.

“Movement is activated at 80 percent. Brain. By moving 3-5 times a week, we can delay the development of neurodegenerative diseases,” added the professor.

– Our brains are very plastic, as we move and participate in active mental activities, the number of neurons in the brain can increase. The brain can regenerate. Movement, knowledge of the environment promotes its regeneration, helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. “

To prevent dementia, calorie restriction, overeating, and the right choice of products that activate the brain are equally important and sensitive.

“Fruits, vegetables, fish, various spices are the best food for the brain. In addition, the foods that cleanse our brains protect against premature aging: curcumin, turmeric, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, mushrooms, ”said Professor A. Skurvydas.

Continuous learning, communication can also help prevent dementia. A normal sleep regimen with not too much and too little sleep also helps protect against neurodegenerative diseases.

Comorbidities need to be controlled.

According to psychiatrist A. Vaitkevičienė, to prevent or slow down the symptoms of vascular dementia, it is important not only to exercise, a healthy lifestyle, but also to treat and control comorbidities, as they can affect the development of dementia.

“Vascular dementia is a consequence of other vascular pathologies: coronary heart disease, primary arterial hypertension. In other words, patients with coronary heart disease and high blood pressure are more likely to develop vascular dementia in a few years or a few years, “said psychiatrist A. Vaitkevičienė.

According to her, the correction of hypertension, the absence of fluctuations in blood pressure can protect against dementia.

“It is possible to regulate blood pressure while taking medications. No matter how simple and routine it may seem to us, not all people do that. Even if a person feels good when his pressure is unusual, that does not mean that he is not damaging the brain. The body has simply adapted, but the brain still reacts negatively to changes in blood pressure, “added A. Vaitkevičienė.