Kırıkkale Provincial Health Director Dr. Murat Ağırtaş drew attention to Alzheimer's disease and said that this disease is a progressive brain disorder that occurs with old age and leads to various mental and behavioral disorders, especially forgetfulness.
Provincial Health Director Dr. Murat Ağırtaş emphasized that Alzheimer's disease is usually seen in individuals over the age of 65 and that one out of every two people over the age of 85 faces this disease. Stating that there are approximately 20 million Alzheimer's patients in the world, Ağırtaş said that the disease is not contagious and hereditary, but familial predisposition is seen as a risk factor, albeit low. Dr. Ağırtaş stated that risk factors for Alzheimer's disease include advanced age, family history of Alzheimer's disease, low education level, serious head traumas, depression and heavy metal poisoning, and hypertension is also a risk factor for the disease.
Noting that the first symptom of the disease is usually forgetfulness, Dr. Ağırtaş said that this condition can progress over time with symptoms such as mental disorders, learning difficulties, speech impairment, disorientation and decision-making difficulties. Dr. Ağırtaş added that patients may also experience symptoms such as behavioral disorders, restlessness, apathy, aggression, sleep disturbance and depression.
Dr. Ağırtaş stated that Alzheimer's disease is a process that progresses slowly but over time makes the patient in need of care, and that the disease generally progresses in three stages, “Initial stage, forgetting names and dates, disorientation, inability to find words, indifference to the environment, not accepting the disease. Middle stage: Significant forgetfulness, inability to recognize people, needing help with daily tasks, daydreaming, depression. Advanced stage: Inability to recognize family members, difficulty in eating and walking, incontinence of urine and feces, serious behavioral disorders.”
Dr. Ağırtaş drew attention to the importance of early diagnosis in the fight against this disease and warned citizens to take the symptoms seriously and consult a specialist as soon as possible.
İHA Haber Kodu: 20240902AW279376