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As people age, they go through many physical and mental changes. In this situation their body gets weak and they become susceptible to infections and diseases. One such common disease found in people during the later stage of their life is called ‘Alzheimer’s disease’. This disease is commonly found in people in their late 70s and 80s but, in a very small number of families Alzheimer’s disease can be inherited by the youth as well. As per the study, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease mostly increases with age.
A total of 37 Lakh people in India are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and related disorders, and the figure is likely to double by 2030. People over the age of 60 are becoming victim of Alzheimer’s, with women constituting 70 per cent of the total burden of the disorder
According to Dr. Manish Gupta, “Temporal Lobe (the region behind your ear) is a part of brain that is involved in processing the comprehension of sounds and spoken words, as well as emotion. Since it includes the hippocampus, it also is associated with different types of memory. The memory for events is known as episodic memory and is affected the most in Alzheimer’s disease. Memory loss, behavioural and psychological changes, impaired judgment etc. are some symptoms of Alzheimer’s.”
Dr. Gupta, Consultant Neurologist at Jaypee Hospital explained in detail, “Some of the commonly seen symptoms of Alzheimer’s are mental decline, difficulty in thinking and understanding, delusion, disorientation, forgetfulness, mental confusion, difficulty in concentrating, inability to create new memories, aggression, agitation, irritability, meaningless repetition of own words, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint, loneliness or mood swings, depression, hallucination, loss of appetite etc.”
Dr. Gupta further added, “The human brain holds about 100 billion nerve cells that transmit information to other nerve cells for performing various functions. But in Alzheimer’s some cells stop working thereby affecting some body functions too. Alzheimer’s disease affects specific parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. In the early stage of Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles begin to form in parts of the brain that impact learning, memory, thinking and planning. Medical tests cannot yet detect Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages. The patient gradually starts facing symptoms of this disease and as a result he starts isolating himself from the society. However, its impact can be controlled by regular checkups and treatment in the early stage of the disease.
Dr. Manish Gupta, Consultant Neurologist, Jaypee Hospital also informed about the causes, symptoms, precautions for the Alzheimer’s disease:
- Consumption of almonds and dry fruits improves the memory
- Consumption of cauliflower helps memory and also strengthens bones
- Senior citizens who remain active tend to have a good memory and are less prone to Alzheimer’s disease
- Drinking green tea can help in reducing the harmful impact of toxic protein called Beta-amyloid that develops in the brain during Alzheimer’s
- Green vegetable, legumes, whole grains, fish, Olive oil can also help fight Alzheimer’s disease
According to Dr. Manish Gupta, an Alzheimer’s patient must not consume sesame seeds, dried tomatoes, pumpkin, butter, cheese, fried food, junk food, red meat, pastries and sweet as they might cause harm to them.
As per the doctor, here are some measures to improve memory:
- Daily yoga sessions and exercise can reduce the impact of this disease.
- Meditation can improve the problem of memory loss in the patient.
- Practicing ‘Sarvangasana’ and ‘Bhujangasana’ boosts memory and improves brain power.
- To improve concentration ‘Kapalbhati Pranayama’ can be helpful
