World Alzheimer’s Day
World Alzheimer’s day is celebrated on 21st September every year to raise the global awareness and to support the patients and their families to fight against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The theme for this year 2023 is “Never too early, never too late”, which underscores the importance of risk factor identification and proactive risk reduction measures to prevent the onset or progression of dementia.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
This is a progressive degenerative disorder of certain parts of the brain which leads to difficulty in remembering recent conversations or events, misplacing objects within home, inability to understand and learn new tasks or unable to perform daily activities in an appropriate manner or unable to get back home through familiar roads, which slowly worsens every day and becomes well noticeable by the family members to an extent that the affected person may eventually require support even for the simplest of his own tasks just as a little child would require.
Who Is Affected?
- Advanced age
- Female sex
- Unhealthy lifestyle
- Poor sleep patterns
- Prior head trauma
- Family history and complex genetic factors.
Can It Be Prevented?
Though this disease cannot be prevented completely, there are some lifestyle risk factors which are modifiable before the onset of this disease
- Exercise regularly
- Healthy diet including fresh fruits and vegetables
- Adequate control of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels
- Quit smoking and alcohol
- Stay active with mental and social activities
- Never stop learning
Can It Be Cured?
There are currently no medications to completely cure this problem, however, in the early and middle stages the symptoms can be controlled to some extent with the help of medications.
What To Do If Alzheimer’s Disease Is Diagnosed?
The patients affected with Alzheimer’s disease require to be routinely followed up by a Neuro-physician to optimize medications periodically based on the progression of disease. To the extent possible, all the risk factors associated with disease progression must be controlled. In addition, there is an abundant requirement of understanding, acceptance and emotional support from the family, friends and society.
At Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, we take care that an alzheimer’s patient is treated with care. With constant monitoring, nutrition and counselling to the caregivers, we provide utmost comfort to the patient and caregivers.
“Miles I walked, in the meadow of grass
Tales I made, in the shadow of hippocampus
I rowed through grief and sailed through joy,
I sowed my hope and reaped my pride;
With the colours of my adulthood fading,
Will My people rejoice the Child in me?”
Dr. Lakshmi Priya
Assistant Professor of Neurology