Dementia describes a series of symptoms related to brain degeneration, which progressively worsen over time. Some of the functions to be impaired are related to memory and cognition. However, as the disease progresses, symptoms may appear when you go to the bathroom.
According to the health platform Pathways Health, urinary tract infections are common among elderly patients.
The Alzheimer’s Association confirms this, stating: “People with dementia often have a urinary tract infection, especially during the later stages of dementia.”
Four-odor urine is often an indication that an infection is developing inside the urinary tract.
Urine can also smell like ammonia, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which also suggests that there are bacteria swimming inside the bladder’s urethra kidney.
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A potential explanation for the prevalence of infectious infections among patients with dementia is impaired immune function.
“It is believed that because our immune systems are altered as we age, they respond differently to these infections,” explains Pathways Health.
“Therefore, instead of symptoms of pain, older people with UTI may begin to act more erratically and problematically than usual.”
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The Alzheimer’s Association echoes this statement, breaking down some possible behavioral changes.
Most patients with UTI tend to complain of physical discomfort, such as burning while urinating.
Older patients, however, may behave erratically, providing clues as to the state of their cognitive health.
In addition, these symptoms may precede other telltale signs of dementia, which may help lead to an early diagnosis.
“It’s also important to be aware that any infection could accelerate the progression of dementia, so all infections need to be identified and treated quickly,” explains the Alzheimer’s Society.
In fact, when bacteria enter the bloodstream, they cause low-grade inflammation within the body.
To avoid these risks, the health platform recommends drinking between six and eight glasses of fluid a day.
Bladder urine should also not be kept in the bladder for too long, so patients with dementia should be asked to go to the toilet whenever possible.
Although UTIs are more likely to occur in the advanced stages of dementia, changes in urine odor may occur years before the onset of symptoms. These, however, may not be noticeable on the human nose.
In a study conducted by the Monell Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with other collaborating institutions, in 2016, researchers found urinary disorders correlated with changes in the brain.
More specifically, the study provided evidence that urinary tract signatures could be altered by changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings offered hope that doctors could diagnose the disorder before the onset of brain decline.