The word "idiocy", widely used in everyday speech, is actually a medical term for the most severe form of a hereditary disease called oligophrenia.
What is this, modern medicine is well known, which can not be said about people who are far from it. As a rule, until an ailment affects one family, all its members do not think that such a thing can happen in their circle. Let us examine in detail the idiocy, its nature, symptoms and prognosis for patients.
general information
Oligophrenia is a metabolic disease of a hereditary nature. Its essence is quite difficult to assimilate to a person who is far from medicine. In short, the patient’s body lacks the enzyme involved in the phenylalanine metabolism, and the result is that in the child’s body, phenylalanine together with metabolites begins to accumulate.
This negatively affects the functioning of the central nervous system, exerting a toxic effect. Well, in turn, this, in turn, inhibits mental development, which gradually results in mental deviations. It cannot be said when this disease first appeared, it is only known that A. Felling first undertook to describe it in 1934. Sometimes this disease is called dementia.
Idiocy is severe oligophrenia
Oligophrenia has several stages that differ in severity. Idiocy is the most complex and difficult of them. A person with such a degree of dementia is almost completely unable to think, unable to pronounce words, for the most part his speech is limited to slurred mooing. Attention also comes to naught; there is no question of its concentration. Defective perceptions of themselves and the environment.
Idiocy is the lack of the ability not only to speak fully, but also to understand what others are saying. Many children with idiocy are not able to learn how to stand and walk without outside help.
Causes of the disease
Idiocy is a disease that has purely specific causes. It can be:
- Genetic diseases. One of their main manifestations is mental retardation. Basically, this is Angelman syndrome, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome. All these diseases, among other things, are accompanied by underdevelopment in the physical plane and are associated with malfunctions in the structure of genes.
- Infectious diseases. Mental abnormalities are often formed on the basis of diseases such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, syphilis.
- Adverse factors that affect a pregnant mother. Unfortunately, people began to forget that alcohol, drugs, radiation and poor ecology negatively affect not only the body of a pregnant mother, but also the fetus.
- Iodine deficiency. For the nervous system to develop correctly, iodine must be abundant. It often happens that women with iodine deficiency during pregnancy suffer from this ailment even more, and the result is a child with oligophrenia. The disease can develop in the case when during the first three years of life the baby does not receive the right amount of iodine.
- Ionizing radiation. For this reason, pregnant women are not prescribed x-rays.
- Exposure to chemical agents. They are household toxic substances - solvents, insect venom.
- Not eating enough food. Many women, worrying about their figure during pregnancy, torment themselves with strict diets, irregular meals. As a result, the body begins to deplete, and not only the pregnant woman, but also her fetus suffers.
- The defeat of the fetus inside the womb. This happens due to problems with the hormonal background of the pregnant woman.
- Birth injury to the brain. The baby's head may be too squeezed by obstetric forceps, or the baby may simply be dropped to the floor.
Symptoms
Idiocy and insanity have very similar symptoms. You can distinguish these pathologies by the degree of speech impairment. So, patients with marasmus retain quite stable speech, with a small, but still sufficient vocabulary, which is not observed in patients with oligophrenia.
Insanity is an acquired state, and it begins with the disintegration of an existing intellectual component. And idiocy is a disease that makes it impossible to develop intelligence. It is characteristic of him:
- Lag of physical development. Sick children learn late to keep their heads, walk, sit. Some may not learn this at all.
- Poor coordination of movements. Most often, they are too inaccurate and sweeping.
- Lack of meaningful speech or its underdevelopment. Speech mainly consists of shouting, lowing.
- Unconscious thinking. A person is not able to read, can not assess the situation, adequately comprehend something.
- Bad memory. Things, people, even the most near and dear ones, are quickly forgotten. The patient can perceive his family as strangers, forget where edible, and where inedible objects.
- Violations of the emotional spectrum. Suddenly, outbreaks of anger, irritation, aggression can occur.
- Inability to self-service. Patients are not able to brush their teeth, wash themselves.
Treatment
Unfortunately, the treatment of the described disease is impossible. It is aimed solely at removing and improving the course of symptoms.
So, in order to normalize the metabolism, glutamic acid, Cerebrolysinum, nootropics are prescribed, vitamins are administered. And in order to relieve a little inhibition, natural stimulants are used - Chinese magnolia vine, aloe, ginseng. Antipsychotics cope with excitement, and are saved from seizures with the help of anticonvulsants. The sooner treatment is started, the more effective its effect.
Forecast
Idiocy is a disease that has a negative prognosis. All violations are irreversible. Both mental and mental activity suffers. Adverse diseases such as intellectual-mnestic disorders often develop. Pathology is congenital and cannot be treated. With a mild form of the disease, people live up to 50 years, with a severe one they die before 20 years.
Prevention
Prevention of the disease involves most of the maintenance of the right lifestyle during pregnancy. It is necessary to completely give up smoking and alcohol, do not forget to visit a gynecologist, get registered, take walks in the fresh air, sleep the right amount of time. Particular attention should be paid to a proper balanced diet, rejection of harmful fatty foods, and the use of greens, vegetables, and fruits.
People with idiocy can hardly live in the natural environment, which is why they are placed in boarding schools of a special orientation. Especially in need of those who are diagnosed with severe oligophrenia.
What is this, we described in the article. And understanding how complicated this pathology is, I want to emphasize: no matter what the person is, you need to respect him and try to facilitate his existence.