Recently I was asked about a myth associated with
dementia. Due to my own age and
condition Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) the person in question asked me if
this was an “inherited condition”. Put
simply No, MCI and dementia are not inherited conditions. The term Dementia is used to describe a decline
in mental ability that affects the daily life of the person. Short term memory loss, communication gap and
ability to focus are few common examples of dementia. Many people have dementia
which starts out slowly and gets worse gradually as time passes.
This led me to think about the other myths
associated with dementia.
So here they are:
1.
We’ll start with the question I was asked – Is Dementia Inherited
Dementia is not inherited; the
frequency of dementia rises to 50% within the over 90’s age range. Contributing factors within your family could
be family members have high blood pressure which increases the chances of
dementia in the future. But with
lifestyle changes dementia can be prevented and can make a huge difference to
the rate of genetic symptoms such as high blood pressure.
2.
Dementia is a normal part of the
ageing process
A great proportion of the
population dies without having dementia.
Those who say it is normal part of ageing are unaware of the facts. Your loved one may have memory loss diseases
that make them often confused, but if you think their condition is not normal,
then you should seek professional guidance for the correct treatment.
With access to the internet
there is an abundance of information to figure out the causes of confusion, of
which many can easily be treated.
3.
Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia
are the same
Dementia is the symptoms that
Alzheimer’s disease patients often show. But numerous other diseases can cause
dementia in humans. People who have cardiac complications or blood pressure
problem easily became victims of dementia.
In Alzheimer’s disease, brain
cells start shrinking and brain tissues also affected.
While dementia patients suffer
from memory loss, difficulties in learning and understanding problems.
4.
There are no effective
treatments
Actually, it is factual to say
that there are a number of ways to reduce the risk of dementia and to get rid
of dementia.
Exercising regularly can play a
key role in coping with memory loss. In
addition, changes to our diet can make a bigger difference than many
medications. Changes can include eating
the correct number of calories.
The Alzheimer’s society has a
comprehensive list and provides updated content on all types of dementia
problems not just Alzheimer’s disease.
5.
Alcohol is effective in treating
Dementia
I have found no evidence of
this, quite the contrary. Alcohol causes
more health-related problems – mental disorders and in extreme cases early death.
I have also found evidence of
Korsakoff’s syndrome, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and Alcoholic dementia which
are caused by a lack of thiamine and the toxic effects of alcohol misuse of
several years.
Wine particularly contains
elements that make our brain unconscious and the internet is full of reports
that proves alcohol affects memory and the brain.
Where there is evidence that Red
wine can protect you from heart disease and diabetes it can have negative
affect on your memory – and though I too enjoy the odd tipple you’ll never hear
“a glass a day helps you live a long and healthy life”.
Just some factoids
Dementia is usually prevalent in people ageing 65
years or over. Since people traditionally
retired at 65, this is the age used; however, this age does not have any
biological significance and is an artificial cut-off point.
Dementia is not a specific disease rather that it
is a set of symptoms associated with at least two impaired brain functions,
such as memory loss and impaired judgment. Dementia may result as a
result of a head trauma, injury to the brain, Huntington’s disease or a tumour.
There is also Mixed Dementia, which is where the
signs and symptoms of more than one form of dementia occur simultaneously. The
most common type of mixed dementia is characterised by protein deposits that
are typically seen in those with Alzheimer’s disease which is the most
prevalent form of dementia.
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