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World Alzheimer’s Day 2021: 5 Facts You Must Know About the Condition

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Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative condition that impairs memory and brain functioning. It mostly affects people over 65 years of age and can make things quite difficult for them. Those with Alzheimer’s,experience confusion, memory impairment, and difficulty in carrying out simple tasks. Alzheimer’s progresses through 5 stages; and in later stages, people may undergo notable personality changes. They may also experience issues related tocommunication, decision-making and problem-solving.

Alzheimer’s is a serious condition,which is why being aware of it is the need of the hour. As per experts, early identification of the symptoms and timely treatment can help slow down the progression of the condition. Hence, since 1994, Alzheimer’s associations throughout the world have been observing World Alzheimer’s Day on 21st September every year. Theypromote awareness and educate people about the early signs and symptoms, different stages of the condition,its progression, and more.

Here are five important facts that you must know about Alzheimer’s in honour of World Alzheimer’s Day. It is advisable to get senior citizen medical insurance for financial coverage of treatments, in case you or a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

1. Dementia is not the same as Alzheimer’s:

Dementia occurs due to abnormal brain changes and Alzheimer’s is a part of it. The common early symptoms of dementia are decline in cognitive abilities, changes in thinking and behavioural skills, inability to communicate properly, confusion, memory loss, and forgetting names, important tasks andrecently learnt information.Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia; it accounts for about 60-80% of dementia cases.

2. Alzheimer’s can be life-threatening:

Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death among the elderly. In the initial stages, people experience memory-related issues, such as forgetfulness and confusion. However, as the condition deteriorates, they may find it difficult to swallow food or move around without help. Some may even wander away from home and land up in dangerous situations, such as road accidents.

Alzheimer’s patients are more susceptible to pneumonia and this can be fatal for those with advanced Alzheimer’s disease.Many times, Alzheimer’s patients also lose their balance and suffer hip fractures or fatal head injuries.

3. Young people can also suffer from Alzheimer’s:

Although Alzheimer’s is common among people over 65 years of age, younger people can also get it. Studies have shown that around 5% people develop Alzheimer’s symptoms before the age of 65. While lateonset is a common trend in Alzheimer’s, people in their 30s, 40 and 50s can also suffer from the condition. This is commonly known as early-onset of Alzheimer’s.

4. Genes play an important role:

Alzheimer’s can be caused by different factors, such as lifestyle, environmental and genetic. These factors affect the brain over time and lead to associated symptoms, such as forgetfulness, confusion, speech and writing issues, mood and personality changes and difficulty in carrying out regular activities.

When it comes to genetic factors, several genes are found to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. However, studies have suggested that theAPOE-e4 gene has the strongest impact on risk. In fact, about 40-65% of Alzheimer’s patients have this high-risk gene.

5. Alzheimer’s has no cure:

Alzheimer’s is a progressive condition and currently has no cure. The available medications and therapies can only help slow down the condition from deteriorating further. They may also ease certain symptoms but cannot stop or reverse memory loss and other associated issues. Although many drug trials are going on, finding one that can completely cure the condition can take some years.

Conclusion

Considering that Alzheimer’s is a serious health condition with no cure currently, creating awareness about it is important. Hence, every year, on World Alzheimer’s Day (21st September), people from different parts of the world come together to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia. Identifying early signs and opting for timely diagnosis and treatment can help ease the symptoms. Since Alzheimer’s, dementia and other health issues are common among the elderly, taking senior citizen medical insurance is important. Such a health plan can help you or a loved one avail the right treatment, without worrying about the never-ending medical bills. You can also opt for cashless treatment at network hospitals and save the hassle of filing a reimbursement claim later.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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