Dimentia

Dementia Dementia is a disease that touches those who have fallen victim to it not just physically, but also emotionally. It affects the victim’s friends, family and every single person around them.  Canadian society is quickly aging and diseases such as dementia are becoming an extensive issue, it is our job to educate and get educated on these diseases that seem to be cutting the life of our seniors short. This paper will discuss what exactly this harmful disease is and the signs, what causes dementia, how it is affecting our society and treatments for the various forms of dementia. Many of us do not know what dementia exactly is, everyone has different theories as to what it possibly could be. There are many different terms used for dementia such as, organic brain syndrome, hardening of the arteries and chronic brain syndrome. Dementia is often referred to as being a senile disease, where the victim becomes bitter and mean. But not until we do some research on dementia will we be able to determine what this disease really is. Dementia is when ones brain’s ability to process information declines due to brain disease or damage. It is most common with affecting ones memory, attention, learning, language, etc. It also may disorient, or confuse them at times. An individual with dementia has difficulty remember things like names, dates, or where they put certain objects. They may also not understand reason and use of their good judgment may be impaired. Dementia is a slow killer; many do not see the signs until it is too late dementia worsens over time.    Anyone is prone to getting dementia even those with no prior health issue are targets of this disease. Nancy L. Mace who is the author of the 36- hour day says that “The dementing diseases know no social or racial lines; the rich and the poor, the wise the and the simple alike are affected” (Mace 7). Dementia has man different causing factors; one could possibly be on their way to getting dementia at a young age by the things they do. Many diseases can cause dementia; also strokes and infection also hold the danger of being the cause of dementia. Head injuries at any age could be a reason for getting dementia, something else that may possibly be the underlying problem with the amount of younger individuals getting this disease is mild or heavy drug use. Heavy alcohol use could also quite possibly lead to dementia. There are many ways one can prevent dementia, old age does not always bring on dementia, author of The Complete Guide to Preventing, Treating and Coping With Memory Loss, Gayatri Devi mentions that “1 in 11 people over the age of 65 currently have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia” (Gayatri 23). It is sadly possible to show signs of dementia at a young age, becoming a senior does not mean having to cope with dementia, even though older individuals are more at risk. There are a wide variety of things one can do to help prevent dementia. Staying active may be one of the most prevalent activities to helping some very insightful information from from  Jean Carper author of 100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer’s And Age-Related Memory Loss is that “Elderly people who participate in certain leisure activities are less likely to develop dementia” (Carper 54). Other things one could also do to help prevent dementia is to not use drugs, any type of drug which may alter the brains thinking patterns play a big role in dementia as one gets older. Eating healthy is a big advantage not only will it keep the body physically healthy it will keep it emotionally healthy also, it is also a consequential benefit for the functioning of ones brain. Carper mentions that there are nine brain foods that work extra hard to prevent this disease, such as dark chocolate, red wine, clams, asparagus, salmon, walnut, cherries, turmeric and of course apples(Carper 76). Taking vitamins daily and drinking water are great ways not only to prevent dementia but also many other healthy issues. Working ones brain will help keep it alert and healthy, David Shenk the author of The Forgetting writes “The greater the networks of interconnections from intelligence and the more extensive the activity, leads the brain to be able to be able to withstand a higher degree of brain damage before developing dementia.” (Shenk 228) Dementia is profoundly preventable, starting at a young age everyone should think of their long term health and wellbeing. Our society has put out dementia to be such a senile disease that many are afraid to admit they may be having signs of it, many live there life very hard without anyone knowing for long periods of time. Knowing this disease is common and can be medicated should help those with signs of dementia get help. As a community we are put to pay for Care Givers through taxes or as family members, we must all open up to this disease and know that those with it need as much help as they can get. There are many forms of dementia one of the most common is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s symptoms are slow to surface; one of the earliest signs may be memory loss. More into the disease one may start to have difficulty learning new skills, they may also experience trouble with abstracting reasoning such as math or other subjects that require learning new skills (Carper 234). In the more complex stages of Alzheimer’s one may lost motor skills and other physical abilities. Mace tells her readers that “Alzheimer’s disease usually leads to death in about seven to ten years, but it can also progress faster and be three to four years or also much slower” (Mace 28). Many times Alzheimer’s just gets mistaken as old age, seniors are prone to forget certain things and be confused. What needs to be done is a thorough check up on those showing early signs of dementia and for society to be more open to helping those with any type of dementia. Alzheimer’s is not the only disease that falls under dementia, there is Parkinson’s disease which affects motor skills the worse. Parkinson’s causes one to have problems walking, tremors, stiffness, poor balance and slow movement. It is very similar to Alzheimer’s. Detected signs of Parkinson’s are highly beneficial, medicines are able to keep the effects of this disease minimal and could help one live a much longer life. There are many different treatments for all types of dementia, a lot of these treatments help slow down the process of dementia. Sadly this disease has no cure at the moment. Like any other disease all types of dementia can be controlled with drugs, it does not get rid of it completely but it will help the victim live a more normal life. Medicine is widely used to help those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  Keeping the brain active and trying to stay away from activities that may depress one is also a great drug free treatment. Acting normal and doing day to day activities will help the victim have a daily routine which could be of great advantage; it could possibly lessen the symptoms. Dementia is a horrible disease and many times family and friends do not know quite how to take care of those with it. They do as much as they can to make sure one is comfortable and has the essential items needed on a day to day basis, but many times it is hard for family to keep a constant eye on those with dementia. Over the years many different senior homes have opened making it possible for the victims of dementia to have someone care for them at all times. It is quite expensive, but it is worth knowing your family member is in good hands. Barbra R. Hegner, author of Assisting in Long Term Care points out that “Residents with dementia have the same rights as other residents” (Hegner 596). It is nice to know health care workers are trained to work with this disease and will treat patients with dementia with the same respect as everyone else. Dementia is at an all-time high in our society, we all are around someone who may or may not show signs. Keeping educated and knowing what exactly this deadly disease is will help many not fall victim to it. One should know what this disease is, why so many fall victim to it, how it will affect our society in the long run and how to treat all forms of dementia.                                                Works Cited. -Carper, Jean. 100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer’s.                     New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2010. Print. -Devi. Gayatri. What Your Doctor May Or May Not Tell You About                   Alzheimer’s disease. New York: Warner Books. 2004.                   Print. -Hegner, R. Barbara. Assisting in Long-Term Care. New York: Delmar.                     2002. Print. -Mace, L. Nancy. The 36-Hour Day. Baltimore: The John Hopkins                    University Press. 1981. Print. -Shenk, David. The Forgetting. New York: Random House. 2001. Print.