How Aging Adults Can Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Dementia is a common term describing the symptoms affecting the way of thinking, memory, and social abilities of an individual. Such a condition adversely affects daily life. Dementia is not the only cause of memory loss, but it is an early sign. Once the condition progresses, it may lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Some symptoms of dementia are reversible when treated immediately.

What causes Alzheimer’s and dementia?

The common cause of dementia is the damage of the nerve cells or losing connections of the nerve cells in the brain. The effect varies depending on the damaged part of the brain. Thus, different people experiencing dementia may manifest different symptoms.

Alzheimer’s is one form of dementia caused by an accumulation of protein, amyloid-beta, and tau. This condition can be fatal because it kills the brain cells and leads to death. However, the cause of Alzheimer’s is still uncertain and several symptoms may come up.

Understanding prevention research for Alzheimer’s and Dementia

The next thing to do after knowing the cause of dementia and Alzheimer’s is to know how to prevent them. There are many types of research that can help to prevent developing the disease. Strong evidence from the research revealed that changing lifestyle can reduce the risk. It means keeping the heart in good health and doing regular physical activity.

Can Alzheimer’s and dementia be prevented or slowed?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle does not only reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease but other chronic health problems. With this, health professionals recommend keeping healthy choices of lifestyle.

Know the symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Knowing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, and dementia is the key to preventing developing the condition. Be vigilant about the manifestation of symptoms, including:

• Confusions
• Taking longer time completing the daily tasks than the usual
• Trouble in handling money
• Personality and mood changes
• Frequent memory loss

There is no powerful evidence to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. Practicing some basic ways recommended by researchers can be beneficial.

Increasing Physical Activity

Doing physical activity does a lot of positive things in our lives. It is good for the heart, weight, circulation, and mental well-being. Thus, exercising is essential to reduce the risk of developing dementia. Aerobics and adding some resistance activities are good to start.

Staying mentally and socially active

We know that brain is affected by the condition. That’s why health professionals recommend exercising our minds to reduce the risks of dementia. In fact, many memory care facilities in Houston and other parts of the U.S. utilize various mental exercises and logic activities for seniors afflicted with dementia. It is possible by challenging mental ability. Playing board games or card games and doing crosswords and puzzles can help.

Eat a balanced diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet also reduces the risk of developing dementia and other chronic diseases. A balanced diet must include fruits and vegetables, protein-rich food, less saturated fats, limiting sugar intake, and drinking at least 6 glasses of fluid.

According to Alzheimer Support, improving your lifestyle can help Alzheimer’s prevention. Keep in mind that there is no complete treatment for the condition. Thus, the best thing we can do is to do the basic lifestyle change.

What you should do for dementia prevention in older adults

Dementia is common among older adults. If you observe an older family member manifesting a symptom of the condition, you can extend some help.

Lifestyle Habits – in most cases, an unhealthy lifestyle is the culprit of many health problems. With this, start changing the unhealthy lifestyle to the good ones.

Increase physical activity—regular exercise is beneficial to reduce the potential of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. It increases the flow of oxygen and blood in the brain.

Eat healthily—be conscious of the food you eat. You can practice the dash diet or Mediterranean diet.

Get a good night’s sleep—getting enough sleep is good for the brain and overall well-being. To keep your brain healthy, practice good sleep. It reduces amyloid accumulation in the brain. Thus, prevent Alzheimer’s.

Do not smoke—smoking poses a higher risk of dementia and other chronic health conditions. It has harmful effects on the body, including the lungs, heart, and brain. Stop smoking if you want to avoid dementia. Most memory care facilities in Orlando, for example, do not allow smoking, and this trend is also evident in other memory care communities throughout the country.

Drink less alcohol—too much intake of alcohol can damage the brain and lead to Alzheimer’s. if you can stop drinking alcohol outright, try reducing the quantity to 14 units a week.

Medical Conditions—an individual experiencing several medical conditions has a greater risk of developing dementia. With this, it is essential to treat the condition at the soonest possible time. Avoid those things, foods, and others that may trigger the condition.

Mental and Social Well-being—maintaining social and mental well-being is a great help to achieve a healthy brain. Connecting socially is recommended based on observational studies. Try learning new things to stimulate cognitive function.

Final thoughts

Nothing to fear of getting older and dementia. As long as you know the symptoms of the condition, you can do a lot of things to reduce the risk. There are risk management strategies you can practice to prevent the development of dementia. Communities and assisted living facilities with memory care units are available to provide help and care to dementia patients.