Table of contents:
- 1. Alzheimer's disease and dementia have nothing to do with it
- 2. Alzheimer's disease is a disease of the grandparents
- 3. Alzheimer's disease does not cause death
- 4. Alzheimer's symptoms are part of aging
- 5. Alzheimer's disease is not a hereditary disease
- 6. Alzheimer's has a cure
- 7. It's useless to see an Alzheimer's patient
As you get older, all body functions will experience a decline, including the brain. The risk of diseases that attack the brain also increases as you get older, one of which is Alzheimer's disease. However, there are still many people who are wrong about this disease.
Azheimer disease, sometimes called senile disease, is not a new disease in Indonesia. The estimated number of Alzheimer's sufferers in Indonesia reached one million in 2013. This figure is expected to continue to soar and become a trend in the future. To anticipate Alzheimer's disease early, you certainly need to understand everything about this disease. Unfortunately, much of the information circulating about this disease is wrong. Some of these mistakes include:
1. Alzheimer's disease and dementia have nothing to do with it
Many people think that dementia and Alzheimer's disease are separate diseases. In fact, Alzheimer's is a specific form of dementia. You need to know that dementia is a group of symptoms that interfere with the brain's cognitive function to carry out daily activities. Meanwhile, Alzheimer's is one of the causes of dementia due to damage to brain cells.
2. Alzheimer's disease is a disease of the grandparents
The risk of Alzheimer's disease increases with age and the majority of Alzheimer's patients are people aged 65 years or older. However, it would be wrong if you conclude that this disease only affects the elderly.
People aged 30 to 50 years can also have this disease, especially those who have family members with Alzheimer's. Nearly 50 percent of adults experience the onset of Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, experts often mistake the symptoms as a side effect of stress alone.
3. Alzheimer's disease does not cause death
Although damage to brain cells does not develop as quickly as cancer, Alzheimer's can also cause death. Most Alzheimer's patients survive 8 or 10 years after being diagnosed by a doctor. Why is that?
This senile disease makes patients forget to eat or drink, has difficulty swallowing food, and causes severe nutritional deficiencies. In addition, changes in behavior can also harm the patient.
4. Alzheimer's symptoms are part of aging
Decreased brain function will indeed occur when you get older, one of the symptoms is often forgetting. This condition is different from dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.
Patients with this disease may forget their home address, familiar people, or even forget how to drive or cook. This condition will worsen with the disruption of the patient's ability to think, eat and speak. So, don't underestimate the symptoms of Alzheimer's.
5. Alzheimer's disease is not a hereditary disease
Damage to brain cells in Alzheimer's patients can indeed occur due to a bad lifestyle. However, the risk of getting this disease can be even greater if there are family members who have this disease.
People who inherit a single gene mutation are at risk of developing this disease, although it is rare. The risk will increase if the person has an unhealthy lifestyle throughout his life.
6. Alzheimer's has a cure
Until now, there has not been found a drug that can actually cure brain cell damage caused by Alzheimer's. Medicines can only prevent symptoms from recurring, but they cannot stop the progression of the disease. So, patients must regularly take medication and be diligent in checking their health with the doctor.
7. It's useless to see an Alzheimer's patient
Alzheimer's patients often do not recognize who their family members are. Even though you have been told, the day after tomorrow or a few days later you will forget. Then you may think that seeing the patient is a futile act because the patient will forget again and again.
Even so, Caleb Backe, a health and fitness expert at Maple Holistic as quoted from the Reader's Digest page explains, “Maintaining your relationship with patients is important. Not only to support the patient but also to benefit yourself. "
