Duke County Board of Health: Working for Your Health

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In reaction to the crisis, the White House issued a national proclamation in October last year, signed through the president, containing an immediate plan of action. Billions of dollars are currently being funneled to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), driving studies toward prevention, treatment, and ultimately a cure. Other government agencies are allocating funds to help Alzheimer’s patients live longer in their own homes, offering caregivers and limiting maximum pharmacy expenses to $2,000 per year (bit. ly/WH_Proclamation).

Alzheimer’s disease can be a heartbreaking diagnosis, as not only is it incurable, but the visual effects of the disease on the brain envelop it in a social stigma. It is a disease that patients are sometimes unable to communicate about and those who enjoy it are reluctant to do so. Patients who were previously able to manage their own lives are beginning to struggle to navigate safely, even in familiar settings. They would possibly get lost while driving or when performing the necessary steps to prepare a meal. Over time, they will lose conciencia. de their personal limitations and lack the ability to identify the people and items around them. Friendships can be depleted as the skills needed to connect with the world disappear.

This can have negative consequences for family caregivers, who will have to deal with difficult new symptoms as they witness the dissolution of their mind and memories. Since the illness can last for a decade or more, caregiver fatigue or burnout is not uncommon. Many caregivers report that they feel a sense of isolation, as under the previous regimen the activities of the family circle are no longer convenient or enjoyable.

Although Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 55 million people worldwide and is caused by a buildup of proteins in the brain that form “amyloid plaques and tau tangles,” there are other types of dementia. dementia that can affect patients and their families more. oh really. equally turbulent manner.

Vascular dementia is caused by a stroke or any other condition that damages blood vessels and alters the blood that reaches the brain. Poor flow deprives the brain of essential oxygen and nutrients. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are also risk factors.

Lewy frame dementia occurs when abnormal proteins, called Lewy bodies, build up in the brain and have effects on its chemical messengers. It is discovered in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The disease causes a variety of symptoms, such as movement problems, cognitive impairment, and sleep disorders.

Frontotemporal dementia progressively damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain due to the accumulation of tau and TDP-43 proteins. These deposits cause emotional and behavioral changes, as well as difficulties with movement and speech.

Mixed dementia occurs when several types of dementia occur in the brain at the same time. For example, a user would possibly suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. It is not obvious that a user has combined dementia, as the symptoms of one type of dementia possibly overlap with those of another. To learn more about the other types of dementia, visit the NIH website, bit. ly/NIH_DementiaTypes.

There is a common misconception that dementia is a general component of the aging process, although it is general from time to time. As we age, our bones and muscles weaken, and our blood vessels and arteries become stiffer, adjustments that can lead to misplaced car keys, difficulty retrieving a word and eventually locating it, or pronouncing the names of acquaintances. Dementia affects much more than memory. The ability to think clearly, make intelligent judgments, find one’s way, and take on daily responsibilities. Mandatory for life is sometimes lost. Family and friends sometimes see those changes before the user who suffers them (bit. ly/HG_MemoryLoss).

If you or a loved one is concerned about the threat of developing dementia or if you have any emerging symptoms, let a doctor know. He or she may refer you to a neurologist for further testing. Pharmaceutical interventions can relieve some symptoms of the disease, such as restlessness and sleep loss, but they cannot address the root cause of the disease.

Although neurodegenerative dementias are incurable, some dementias are symptomatic of other treatable diseases. Medications can cause dementia-like symptoms, as can thyroid problems, increased brain tension, vitamin deficiency, and urinary tract infection. Dementia may not be completely preventable, but adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes normal exercise, proper diet, and social participation reduces the chances of developing this and other chronic diseases. Predictors of dementia come with a complex age, a circle of family members with a history of the disease, being African American or Hispanic, high blood pressure or cholesterol, smoking, or having suffered a traumatic brain injury (cdc. gov/aging/dementia).

If you have dementia or are providing care to a loved one suffering from dementia, you can contact Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living. Their day program offers a welcoming environment for Americans who might be socially isolated or in danger if left alone. . The center offers its visitors lunch and a variety of engaging and engaging programs, in addition to art and music, which have healing value for other people with dementia. Family members not only benefit from a break from their responsibilities, but also from knowing that their enjoyment is in a safe and caring environment, supervised by trained staff. The Center for Living also offers memory screenings, a memory/stroke organization for those going through the physical and cognitive adjustments of early-stage dementia, a caregiver organization to provide encouragement, comfort, and guidance to family caregivers, and other valuable information services (mvmiddle4living. org).

With the right support and plans, other people living with dementia and their families can continue to live full lives. Celebrities such as singer Tony Bennett, who died of Alzheimer’s disease last May, and actor Bruce Willis, who suffers from frontotemporal lobe dementia, have brought this complicated topic to salons across the country. They have helped shed light on the magnitude of the problem, while reducing the stigma attached to it. As Tony Bennett has shown, the regions of the brain that enjoy and create music are the least affected by the disease. Bennett sang his later years and didn’t forget his lyrics as he addressed audiences around the world. It reminds us to stay creative, stay engaged, and keep singing.

 

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