YOU NEED TO ADOPT TO STOP ALZHEIMER'S OR DEMENTIA BEFORE IT STARTS.
Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death. It actually kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Instead of putting the focus on preventing Alzheimer’s, the medical community puts emphasis on slowing the progression of the disease after onset with drugs and therapy. However, if you truly understand dementia, then you can change your lifestyle to protect your brain from cognitive decline before it happens.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life… Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.
Dementia is a progressive illness, meaning that it gets worse as it progresses. It may start with forgetting where you placed your keys and can turn into forgetting your relatives or forgetting to eat.
Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is actually the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of cases.
Early signs of Alzheimer’s include having difficulty remembering recent conversations, names or locations, as well as apathy and depression. Later on, symptoms may include impaired communication, poor judgment, disorientation, confusion, behavior changes and difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.
Alzheimer’s is characterized by beta-amyloid deposits in the brain, twisted strands of the protein tau, as well as nerve cell damage and death.
If you are a high risk for dementia or if you have a family history of the disease, there are a few things you can do regularly to lower your risk of developing dementia.
Preventing Alzheimer’s is straightforward, you just have to put in the work!
1. QUIT SMOKING.
Researchers theorized that the increased risk is partly due to the fact that smoking contributes to oxidative stress and inflammation. Many other studies have also confirmed the link between smoking and Alzheimer’s.
2. BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.
Physical Activity has a positive impact on every part of your body, including your brain.
3. VITAMIN B
B vitamins reduce the levels of a molecule known as homocysteine or HC in your blood. Hc damages the vascular system and can lead to strokes, heart diseases, and other vascular problems. These conditions, in turn, have a devastating effect on your brain.
4. VITAMIN D
Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most widespread deficiencies in modern times, affecting all adults worldwide.
5. TRAIN YOUR BRAIN.
Learning new information forces your brain to reorganize itself to make room for new knowledge.
6. PREVENT HEAD INJURIES.
Injuring your head causes short-term dementia-like symptoms like confusion, memory loss, and changes in speech, vision, and personality.
7. CONTROL YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE.
Your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia also go up with alcohol drinking.
8. TRACK YOUR NUMBERS.
Since diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity are all risk factors, it’s important to monitor your weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol, which cause alzheimer.
9. INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL INTERACTION.
Humans are social creatures, so spending too much time in isolation wears down your brain.