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Be there for them
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The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases with age and women are more prone to it
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Saleema is exhausted. Not only does she have to take care of her husband and her children, she also has to take care of her elderly mother. In the past six months her mother has progressively lost her memory and now has a tendency to wander away from home. Saleema and the other family members have to be constantly vigilant that she does not go out into the street because she has no idea of how to find her way back. Saleema’s mother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is the devastating loss of intellectual and social abilities, severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. It is due to a progressive degeneration of healthy brain tissue, leading to a steady decline in memory and mental capability. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases with age. About half the people above the age of 85 and two third of people over the age of 90 suffer from it. Women are more likely than men to develop it.
Alzheimer’s may start with slight memory loss and confusion, but it eventually leads to irreversible mental impairment that wipes out a person’s ability to remember, reason, learn and imagine.
What happens in Alzheimer’s disease?
Increasing and persistent forgetfulness is the hallmark of this condition. People with Alzheimer’s may repeat actions and conversations. They may sometimes seem to live in a different era of their life. There can be moments of lucidity but most often they cannot remember what they did even a few hours or minutes ago. They routinely misplace things. They may remember very close family members but in the late stages, may tragically be unable to recognise even their dearest ones.
People with Alzheimer’s often get disoriented. They lose all sense of direction and may find themselves lost in familiar surroundings. They find it difficult to carry out even familiar tasks. They may ultimately be unable to take even the most basic care of themselves.
Alzheimer’s changes the personality to such an extent that even a normally calm person may become aggressive, restless or anxious. This is the most heartrending aspect of this disease: a person who loved us and rejoiced in our company becomes a stranger who looks at us with distrust and fear.
Alzheimer’s disease is doubly painful — it devastates both the cared for and the care giver. Those with Alzheimer’s, and more so those who care for them, need support and love from friends and family to cope with the exhausting job of dealing with the disease.
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease
The human brain is a remarkable organ which consists of billions of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons generate electrical and chemical signals that are relayed from neuron to neuron to help a person think, remember and feel. Chemicals called neurotransmitters help these signals flow effortlessly between neurons. Alzheimer’s is essentially a progressive failure of signalling. Neurons begin to die, lower levels of neurotransmitters are produced and signals are either not generated or get lost on the way. Within the brain there is the production of plaques and tangles (literally, the twisting and entanglement of protein threads in neurons) which are characteristic of this disease and which hasten the death of neurons.
Who can develop Alzheimer’s?
Aging is the first and foremost risk factor, though it is good to know that less than 5 per cent of people between 65 and 74 have Alzheimer’s. The risk might be slightly higher if a parent, sister or brother has had the disease. Women are more prone than men to develop the disease, in part because they live longer.
Avoiding Alzheimer’s
Keeping physically fit and active not only decreases the risk of getting heart disease, it also reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Along with physical fitness, mental agility and stimulation can ward off this disease. Reading daily, solving cross-word puzzles and playing Sudoku are some methods of avoiding, or at least postponing, the ravages of Alzheimer’s.
Coping with Alzheimer’s
People with Alzheimer’s disease are often confused, frustrated, angry and fearful. You can help a person cope with the disease by being there for them, and doing your best to help the person hold on to their dignity and self-respect.
(The author is a Chennai-based obstetrician and gynaecologist with a special interest in women’s health issues.)
GITA ARJUN
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