By Dixie Ann Black
“Have you lost your mind?!!!”
This exclamation used to imply someone had done something unusual or outrageous. Now it, unfortunately, often takes on a literal meaning. It is also known as Alzheimer’s dementia.
“By mid-century, the number of Americans age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia may grow to 13.8 million. This represents a steep increase from the estimated 5.8 million Ameri-cans age 65 and older who have Alzheimer’s dementia today.” https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The month of November is used to highlight the epidemic of Alzheimer’s in our society.
Alzheimer’s is a brain degenerative disease named after the German clinical psychiatrist Dr. Alois Alzheimer who is credited with identifying the first published case in 1906. The disease is now on an exponential rise. There are hereditary and environmental factors that influence our susceptibility to Alzheimer’s dementia.
At Alzheimer’s initial onset it is easy to mistake some initial symptoms as personality quirks or lifestyle changes exacerbated by stress. This can lead to family strife when the victim’s negative behaviors are deemed as deliberate. Even worse, some symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s, such as forgetfulness are sometimes misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s leaving the root cause of symptoms untreated.
As of 2020, of the roughly 6 million people living with Alzheimer’s over half a million of that number live in Florida. By 2050 that national number is expected to reach 12.7 million (Alz.org). Black and Brown community in Florida make up 35% of those living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Are you at risk of falling victim to this devastating disease?
“Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis in Florida. Without an effective treatment or cure, the impact of Alzheimer’s will continue to rise and the numbers in Florida are escalating.” Alz.org
Why should you pay attention to this issue? At this moment in time there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. This potentially leaves everyone at risk. To be informed is to be pre-warned. But if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with this disease, you are likely in the crucible of its stress. However, here is hope. New research and clinical trials are challenging the long-held belief that Alzheimer’s is incurable, (check out the outstanding, Awakening from Alzheimer’s, book and video series by Peggy Sarlin). The information now available is not just a warning, it is preventative in nature.
Instead of the implicated plaque in the brain, believed to be the cause of Alzheimer’s, new research is emerging that indicates the plaque is actually the body’s response, in trying to protect us from the disease. It may be a symptom not the cause. https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/dale-bredesen.
What are some obvious symptoms that tell us we are at risk for Alzheimer’s?
Most people can recite the culprits like a mantra: …..Continue reading on Medium.com at: https://dixieannblack.medium.com/there-is-hope-my-moms-alzheimer-s-1485b879421d
