Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer's

 

Every year on September 21, World Alzheimer,s day is observed globally. Each year there is a theme based on which an awareness is created about the disease. And this year the theme is Know Dementia, Know Alzeihmer.

According to WHO , worldwide more than 50 million people suffer with dementia  . Alzheimer's disease is one of the types of dementia and the prevalence is recorded to be more than 24 million. In India as per the dementia in India 2020 reports ,5.3million people have dementia and more than 4million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease

What is dementia and Alzheimer's disease?

Dementia is an illness that affects Senior citizens. Dementia is more commonly seen in people who are older than 65. Alzheimer's disease is a common type of dementia. According to research around 60% -80% people with dementia have Alzheimer's disease. Dementia is n neurological disorder that cause damage to brain cells and the part of brain which is responsible for other cognitive functions. There is a constant and gradual decrease or loss of memory , thinking , remembering, judgement , and other mental function that can interfere the behaviours and daily functioning of the person.

Signs and symptoms

Initially the person can have frequent forgetting and in later stage , with sever loss of memory and other mental functions, person completely dependent on family to carry on basic personal activities

·       Loss of memory is the core features.

·       Disorientation of time and place.

·       Difficulty in communication and language

·       Trouble in doing daily routine tasks and self-care

·       Behavioral changes of mood, aggression, restless

·       Along with the above symptoms the person can have psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression. In severe cases the condition can develop symptoms like hallucinations.

 

 

There are various causes of dementia. some of the common causes of dementia include

·       Other neurological disease -, Parkinson's disease, Huntington disease

·       Illness like diabetes, thyroid problem, cardiovascular disease are the high risk of developing dementia

·       Family history - Having family history of dementia can increase the risk of the condition

·       Substance abuse - Excessive use of substance abuse especially drugs and alcohol.

·       Age - Though dementia isn’t a normal part of ageing but in some cases age can be risk factor leading to dementia

·       Serious brain injury or infection of brain that affect the central nervous system

·       Stroke or tumor in brain

Treatment and prevention

So far, the scope of treatment for dementia is limited. No cure is available, but there are way to manage ;

·       Medications – Medications to treat core symptoms of dementia have limited effectiveness. However, effective treatment options are available for behavioral problems like agitation, hallucinations etc.

·       Therapies - Occupational therapy , art therapy , music therapy , cognitive stimulation therapy can have some therapeutic benefits.

Prevention of Dementia:

Little is known about what helps in prevention of dementia, however, there is some evidence for the following.

·       Lifestyle changes - Exercise , active life style are neuroprotective.

·       Having healthy diet and food - having green leafy vegetables, nuts , fruits( berries)

·       Intellectual activities like reading, writing and involving in brain challenge games like puzzles or sudoku