Memory Illnesses - What are Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Nature has its own designs. As we age biologically, our physical and psychological age also increases – our body and mind keep pace with our advancing years.
 
Physical aging gives it tells- tale signs through many manifestations, both internal as well as external. Appearance, wrinkles, thinning of hair, dry skin, lack of concentration, poor eyesight, falling teeth, impaired mobility, erectile dysfunction and sometimes crippling pain and joint stiffness is the result of chronic illnesses like arthritis.

While the physical deterioration can be taken care of, it is the psychological aspect of aging which make us suffer most.  The mental trauma which many aged live through brings even more grief to their loved ones, family and friends.
 
While the state of a person’s mental health is critically important in the elderly, the degree of suffering has a direct relationship to his/her past lifestyle and genetics. One of the most common ailments of this age is Dementia.

Dementia according to text-book definition is a gradual degradation in cognitive function beyond the cycle of normal aging. The signs and symptoms of dementia are:

• change in personality and behavior,
• downscaling of memory functions,
• reduction in attention span,
• understanding and verbal expression, and
• power to resolve a problem, etc.

Symptoms of Dementia

Symptoms of dementia can be categorized into two groups – curable and incurable. Generally these symptoms become more complex due to the onset of other issues like delusions, delirium, depression and other mental dysfunctions.
 
To diagnose and analyze symptoms of dementia, extensive research has been undertaken over a period of many years, to facilitate the detection and classify the patient’s mental illness. . These tests are the ABMTS or Abbreviated Mental Test Score and the MMSE or Mini Mental State Examination. Combined with other physical and mental states, psychiatrists come to a final diagnosis of the state of the patient’s state of mental health. 

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most wide-spread form of dementia found mostly in the aged. It basically affects on the memory aspect of the patient. With the gradual progression of the condition, the symptoms manifest in the form of loss of language comprehension, body coordination, recognizing ability and problem solving abilities.
 
To make the matter more complex, the patient also shows pronounced behavioral changes like anger bursts, denial, total lack of interest, depression and others.
 
What happens in Alzheimer is that there is a quick reduction of neurons in the brain and the brain cells die or suffers what is known as atrophy. The reasons for this are primarily genetic. While no cure has been found till date, research has enabled doctors to delay its onset to some extent.
 
Efforts to prevent the disease, has not yet shown any positive outcome. There is hardly anyway to detect the arrival of the disease till its onset. DNA testing is possible but financially not feasible. The only way we can know about its arrival is age.
 
In a move to work towards the prevention of the disease, research has shown that people who use their minds often have lesser chances compared to those who don’t.
 
In fact the game of chess came up as more effective in prevention, much more than solving crosswords or dancing.
 
Studies further show that the same activities that are recommended for the prevention of stroke and cardiac arrest apply to the prevention of Alzheimer’ s as well. An important note on dancing needed to be added here. As dancing requires an overall integration and coordination of the mind and body, it has shown great possibility in the prevention of Alzheimer’s in the elderly.

A measured dose of 400 IU of Vitamin E and 500 IU of Vitamin C is known to prevent Alzheimer’s  onset significantly, as much as 80%. This is far lesser than the dose offered by Companies marketing vitamins today.
 
The dosing of vitamin E and C must be optimum for best results. While consumption of vitamin E alone, offers slight prevention ability, a large dose of vitamin C has zero effect. Vitamin E in huge doses is also detrimental to the body as it becomes active in the presence of free radicals. Vitamin C which is an antioxidant makes the combination safe and optimum.

And last but not the least, important lifestyle changes are required for the prevention of Alzheimer’s. These include saying no to tobacco, weight reduction and insulin regulation.

Hope this article will provide you information about the memory illnesses- Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

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