What did you do when you woke up this morning? Remember that. He drank water, went to the toilet, ate breakfast. But can you tell me quickly what you have been doing since you got up in the morning? Of course you can’t.

Because our brain doesn’t store everything in a way that we can remember immediately. This is normal. But this becomes unusual when we start forgetting the things we should remember.

For example: You leave the house and after reaching some distance, you wonder – ‘Did I lock the door or not? Did you turn off the gas or not?’

It is normal for this to happen sometimes. But if this sequence increases, it starts affecting our daily life.

You gradually start to forget things that are important to remember. For example: After leaving home, you forget the way back home. Where to reach, where to lose. There are many such tragic incidents. Especially the elders of the house are disappearing like this. On the one hand, there is the problem that a person who has left home cannot return home, on the other hand, taking care of a person in such a situation is another Mahabharata.

The family should take care of them as if they were their own children. You have to take care of them anytime, anywhere. They also need a helper to give them medicine, feed them, bathe and defecate. As this problem increases, they even forget to chew the food they put in their mouth. This is a complicated situation.

Why does this happen? Who cares? How is it? Is there any treatment for this?

Put it in medical terms Dementia It is called the name syndrome. Let us first understand its biological problem.

When we don’t pay much attention to the problem of forgetting, that tendency can increase. Along with this, as the brain dries up, its complexity increases.

What is dementia?

Dementia is not a single disease, it is a syndrome in which many types of brain problems appear simultaneously. As we age, billions of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain weaken and the size of the brain itself becomes smaller. Just like wrinkles on the skin and face, the mind also shrinks.

As a result, memory, thinking ability, decision-making power and behavior decline. When these problems begin to affect daily functioning – such as not knowing where the keys are, forgetting what you just did, not recognizing the house – then it becomes dementia.

Simple forgetfulness (such as forgetting to sign out attendance when leaving the office) and dementia are not the same thing. In dementia, people forget words, don’t even know what the key is.

How much is the problem of dementia in Nepali?

More than one crore people have dementia in India alone. It is one of the leading causes of death in America. There is no exact data in Nepal yet, but according to estimates, four to five lakh people are affected.

This problem is seen in 10 percent of people over the age of 60 and about 50 percent of people over the age of 80. But in our society, it is ignored saying that it is a problem of old age. Therefore, the patient quickly becomes weak and dies soon.

Main causes of dementia

1. If someone has it in a genetic family, it can happen to others too.

2. Alzheimer’s disease (70–80% of cases) is a buildup of bad proteins in the brain. These proteins cause rust in the “wires” of neurons. Information cannot go from one place to another. The hippocampus (memory-making part) is the first to be affected.

3. Vascular dementia occurs when a stroke, bleeding in the brain or blockage of a blood vessel causes parts of the brain to dry up.

4. Other causes include head injury, infection, excessive use of cigarettes and alcohol, uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.

Three stages and symptoms of dementia

The initial stage

• Forgetting the same thing two or three times a day
• Asking the same question over and over again
• The problem of where the keys, phone, money are kept

middle stage

• Not recognizing your home
• Not knowing the year, month, time
• Feeling like you’re talking to a dead family member
• Depression, anxiety, confusion

critical phase

• Inability to do anything on your own (brushing, eating, bowel control)
• Not knowing where the bathroom, kitchen is
• 100% dependent on others
• Difficult to even walk

Does it heal?

The answer to this question is no. In particular, dementia cannot be completely cured, but it can be prevented and controlled. Unfortunately, there is no complete cure yet. But there are many ways to prevent and reduce symptoms:

Lifestyle changes (most effective)

• Regular exercise
• Brain exercise: reading books, writing a diary, learning new things, playing puzzles
• Healthy food (fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts)
• Quit smoking and alcohol completely
• Seven to eight hours of good sleep
• Keeping diabetes, pressure, cholesterol under control
• Social activities (talking, meeting friends, staying with family)

Secondary causes are treatable Dementia can disappear within two to four days after surgery if there is water coagulation in the head (normal pressure hydrocephalus), old blood coagulation (chronic subdural hematoma), brain tumor, infection etc. Therefore, if symptoms appear, do a CT scan or MRI immediately.

The role and challenge of the family

The patient himself does not know anything, so he suffers less. But families are tired and stressed when they serve day and night.

What can be done?

1. Placing signboards at home (near kitchen, near toilet)

2. Keep card or chip (to be contacted if lost outside)

3. Keeping the patient active: walking, singing, giving small tasks

4. Take care of your health too (make time for family rest)

Now let’s understand and save

Dementia is not a ‘normal’ problem of aging. It is a disease that can be prevented from the age of 60. We can save ourselves and our parents from this problem if we have a healthy lifestyle, keep our brains active and get checked up on time.

Let’s change the thinking that ‘this is what happens when you get old’. Don’t ignore dementia. If symptoms occur, consult a neurologist immediately.