HOW TO KNOW ABOUT DEMENTIA - THE EFFECTS CAN BE REDUCED WITH A BETTER LIFESTYLE

Dementia is a disease affecting the functioning of the human brain and nerves in old age, which becomes more severe with the passage of time. Memory loss is the most common aspect of dementia, with difficulty remembering particularly recent events. Other symptoms include changes in a person's behavior, mood, and personality.

The affected person gets lost in familiar places and forgets the correct words during a conversation. In some people, it gets to the point where they cannot even decide whether they want to eat or drink.

Experts say that as the disease progresses over time, the patient's needs also increase and he needs constant care. The annual cost of caring for dementia patients is close to a trillion dollars.

A RAPIDLY SPREADING DISEASE

A research report of a British institution has recently come out, which states that dementia is the biggest challenge of today's age. Every 3 seconds someone is diagnosed with dementia.

It has become the deadliest disease in some rich countries and no cure has yet been discovered. Currently, 50 million people worldwide are forced to live with dementia and this number is likely to increase rapidly in the coming times.

It is estimated that by 2050, the number of people affected by dementia will reach 13 crores.

According to the World Health Organization, a subsidiary of the United Nations, the number of deaths from dementia has doubled since 2000, and it is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.

CAUSES OF DEMENTIA

According to experts, just as a cure for dementia has yet to be discovered, its causes are also unknown. In this regard, Professor Tara Spiers-Jones of the University of Edinburgh says, "We don't know why neurons die; we don't know the real reason why they die."

We don't know which protein that accumulates in the brain is dangerous; we don't even know why it accumulates, why it accumulates where it accumulates, why it spreads in the brain, etc.

PRECAUTIONS

There are no definitive preventive measures to prevent dementia, but in light of the limited information available so far, experts do offer some tips that can help reduce the chance of dementia.

According to experts, one in three cases of dementia can be reduced by a better lifestyle. Changes that may help include treating hearing loss in midlife, continuing to pursue education longer, avoiding smoking, treating depression early, being physically active, and being socially active, but these include avoiding loneliness, obesity, blood pressure, and two types of diabetes.

These recommendations are based on limited general information and it is not known how well these measures protect the brain.

A better lifestyle can actually prevent dementia or prepare the brain to deal with it, for example by making better connections between cells and making the brain more resilient when neurons start to die. can be countered.

DEMENTIA

DEMENTIA SITUATION IN PAKISTAN

According to the 2017 data from the World Health Organization, about 1550 people die every year in Pakistan due to causes related to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This number constitutes about 1.3% of the total annual civilian deaths in Pakistan.

Contrary to the World Health Organization, experts believe that the death rate due to dementia and Alzheimer's disease in Pakistan is much higher than that.

WILL A CURE BE FOUND?

Research is of fundamental importance in medical science. In the 1980s, AIDS was considered a fatal disease, but since then, extensive research and money have been spent on it and with the help of antiviral drugs, people can now live almost normal lives.

Can spend similarly, now the world's attention is being drawn to the disease of dementia. According to experts, some trials are about to be completed this year, from which better results are expected in the next one or two years.

Some experts also say that in the next 10 years we will see regular treatment for dementia for the first time, which will not be a complete cure. Still, it will definitely take some time to develop the disease and the patient's condition will not deteriorate rapidly.