Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month: Signs to look out for

POLOKWANE – More than 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimers or Dementia and during the month of June, awareness is spread about the diseases.

Local neurologist Dr Innocentia Diale gave the Polokwane Observer a broader description and explanation of what the diseases are.

“We see a wide range of neurological disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. This includes diseases/disorders such as epilepsy, headaches, dementias such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies and Parkinson’s Disease, to name a few.”

Diale said most Dementias are neurodegenerative, which means that it is loss of structure and function of the neurons (brain cells), and are unfortunately, irreversible and have no cure.

“Alzheimer’s is associated with aging and is one of the common Dementias that affects memory, thinking and behaviour. Majority of people with Alzheimer’s are over the age of 65 but it can affect younger people and we call it Early-Onset-Alzheimer’s. The symptoms tend to worsen with time, usually over some years and end up affecting the patient’s day-to-day living and in the long run, they become dependent on their caregivers or relatives for their daily activities such as bathing, dressing and eating.”

People who are at risk of getting Alzheimer’s are/have:

• Older generation, risk increases as one gets older.
• A family relative with Alzheimer’s.
• Previous head injuries.
• People with down syndrome.
• Cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Diabetes and high cholesterol.

“There is not much we can do about aging and family history, but we can certainly work on other risk factors. Exercise, weight loss, a healthy, balanced diet, not smoking and a reduced alcohol intake helps a lot. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you need to have strict control of your blood pressure and sugar to avoid damage to the brain,” she said.

She added that mental health is also very important as patients with depression should seek help. “Social isolation is not good either. Regular health checks are very important as well as taking your medication regularly as prescribed by the doctor.”

Diale concluded that there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, however there is medication available that can temporarily reduce the symptoms. “There is medication for behavioural and sleeping problems and for depressive symptoms. If you have a family member that has Alzheimer’s or suspect they have Alzheimer’s, they need to be seen by a neurologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.”

There are support groups available for both people living with the disease and their caregivers and you can visit the Alzheimer’s South Africa website to find support groups near you.