Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Keep Dementia at Bay. Act now

Greetings of the day !

Mr. Kapoor (name changed) the 76 year old retired officer , nicknamed as 'Raj Kapoor' in his youth for he used to be well dressed and a highly polished gentleman of the locality.

He had been living with his wife and children happily till 2017 . Mr & Mrs Kapoor once upon love birds were ageing gracefully and were enjoying life to its full but now they were fighting on simple and pity issues.

One day on a sunny day, while returning from a shopping mall ,Mr Kapoor could not find his way back home. He went on moving from one corner to the another for almost an hour till a passerby helped him out and accompanied him back home.

Mr Raj (name changed) his son felt happy to see his father back but surprisingly Mr. Kapoor shouted at him , ''you are the one who did black magic on me' otherwise I never experienced this before . Mrs Kapoor looked at her husband and strengthened his belief .Both felt that their son was no more a sincere person .

Next day Mr Kapoor was taken to a doctor and he was diagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease. Various investigations were done to rule out any treatable cause but all in vain. The doctor had an elaborate discussion with the family. Mr Kapoor was not allowed to visit marketplaces alone and he started to live indoors much to his dissatisfaction .

The disease is unfortunately progressive and till date there is no specific treatment . Social circle of Mr Kapoor progressively declined as he would repeat his past stories again and again. To deal with such people one needs a loving heart and caring ears which are unfortunately rare .

A year later, one day , Mr Raj was seen shouting at his wife as his father Mr Kapoor blamed that lot of people are coming to their residence no sooner Mr Raj goes out for duties which was not a fact. Finally Dr Adit (name changed) explained his son, Mr Raj that this was the delusion of persecution his beloved father has developed ,as part of natural history of the disease thus none of his faults. This needs to be understood by caregivers of such patients.

With these developments the sweet Kapoor family became a group of villains living under one roof, all suspecting one another . It is easy said than done ,to take care of a dementia person. It starts with memory impairment and difficulty in planning. Hence we must focus to reduce the development of dementia right from the beginning as there is no treatment .While non modifiable factors like age & family history are unalterable but certain factors can be controlled when taken care at an early age.

Coming back to Mr Kapoor 's family one day as the dawn was breaking Mrs Kapoor   developed severe chest pain and she was rushed to a hospital where she breathed her last . Her husband once upon a loving partner was least bothered about this unfortunate incident due to his disease process . He had an inappropriate affect .He started singing and continued his irrelevant ,difficult to understand discussions .

Day by day Mr Kapoor 's talkative behaviour and irrelevant singing became a big problem in their home. He lost his facial sheen and became very weak. Mrs Bunti (Raj's wife) was concerned about the education of her children and would frequently complain about it to her husband who seemed to have got sandwiched between the two parties .The lady seemed to have become fed up with a person who had given blood to the home. The bitter story of life.

Months later Mr Kapoor was unable to dress himself and needed a person to support .A full time helper was hired by Mr Raj to look after his beloved father.

October 2020 , Mr Kapoor is bed bound, recognise none .The Raj Kapoor of yester years is living as an untidy weak person who has forgotten everything around.

Dear Reader : Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors including diet and nutrition. While people after the age of 65 years are more prone to develop dementia , younger people are no way immune to these disorders, hence ACT NOW 




How to prevent ?

1. Patients with chronic health conditions like hypertension , heart disease, diabetes, and obesity must focus a meticulous control of their disease as these preclude dementia in old age .
2. Exercise regularly: 150 minutes /week 
3. Keep your brain very active , learn new things , read a book, solve a puzzle etc. 
4. Sleep apnea. People who snore and have episodes where they frequently stop breathing while asleep may have reversible memory loss.
5.Vitamin and nutritional deficiencies. Low levels of vitamin D, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate may increase the risk of dementia.
6. Be socially active. Meet people , greet people and avoid all types of stresses . We live once live happily and the key to happiness is no expectations. Never try to change the behavior of your spouse , never compare yourself with others . 
Come on, from a Billionaire to a beggar the final outcome of our life is ZERO, No profit and no loss 
7. Quit smoking 
8.Sleep well 
9. Practicing good nutrition and eating lots of healthy foods is shown to help reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease .
Here are 7 foods that can fight off cognitive decline and help you stay healthy as you age:

1. Leafy Greens
These are high in essential B vitamins like folate and B9 that can help reduce depression, while also boosting cognition. 

2. Berries
The anthocyanin present in Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries helps to stop the progression of brain damage triggered by free radicals. 

3. Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and peanuts are loaded with healthy fats, magnesium, vitamin E, and B vitamins — all of which are shown to promote good cognition and ward off signs of dementia. 

4. Omega-3s
Olive oil, flax seeds, and fatty fish like tuna, salmon, are examples of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids .These help your brain stay healthy. Studies have shown that omega-3s are effective at fighting and preventing dementia . 

5. Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, are high in vitamin B and carotenoids that have the ability to reduce levels of homocysteine — an amino acid linked to cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and dementia. 

6. Spices
Spices like , Turmeric and cinnamon contain lot of polyphenols — compounds that offer numerous benefits for memory and brain health. Add Turmeric to rice and take cinnamon regularly 

7. Seeds
Sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds all contain antioxidants and nutrients like vitamin E, zinc, omega-3s, and choline that reduce cognitive decline. 

Foods That Are Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s disease

Many foods like RED MEAT , processed meats, refined grains, sweets, and desserts are shown to be risk factors of dementia .

Excess alcohol intake, saturated fatty acids, and foods with a high number of calories are also risk factors for Alzheimer’s.
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