Life goes
so fast that forgetting things is normal but, up to what point? I guess that we all have said at least once “Where
are my keys? I’m senile!” The truth is that we (as usual) overreact, exaggerating our problems but, what happens
when we are not acting? What if we are forgetting important information, like
our name or our friends' faces for real? This is what happens to a 3% under 60s population in our world: Alzheimer’s disease.
Hearing
the name “Alzheimer” gives me goose bumps, since this is a silent enemy that
attacks our brain erasing all our memories, with no consideration. It was
thought that only older people develop this disease but, nowadays it has been
proved that because of a defective gene even under 60's are victimes of it.
At early stages you just forget simply things like dates and addresses, then you forget your own address, your family members, go to the bathroom and speak; at the end, you are not able to do a thing by your own, depending on a nurse or your family. The worst part is for those whose memory is normal because they are witnesses of the patient's decadency, suffering all the pain of seeing someone they love diying for inside.
Unfortunately, there is not known treatment for this disease, neither something you can do to prevent it; patients just take pills in order to slow the process. On the other hand, I heard some time ago about a vaccine that cures the problem, but it is a kind of conspiration since pharmacies prefer sell lots of pills to treat the illnesses rather than sell the cure just once.
What do you think about these conspirations? Are they real?
Do you know someone who suffers this disease?
Here goes a sad korean movie that inspired me to write about Alzheimer, enjoy it! :)
I had a very close relative that suffered this mental disease. The process he went through was shocking, and sad. He tried to prevent as soon as he knew, but it was impossible, he was at a very advanced Alzheimer stage. The suffering was long. Doctors tried to do their best, and he obeyed everything: he took his pills, and followed the treatment. I know that pharmacies are the best businees in the world, but it depends. If you have a good doctor, s/he will help you with the medicine and find the best ones advising you about the pharmacies and even when it is necessary s/he will recomend you what to take. Well, as far as I know you can star now preventing this disease. For example,by eating right (healthy diet), exercising, staying socially active, stimulating you mental capacities through strategy games, puzzles, and riddles, practicing memorization, learning something new (a language, musical instrument, etc.), having a good quality sleep, and keeping stress in check. It would be very helful for us to do those things, it would help our daily life, and our future one.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about those tips to prevent Alzheimer before; actually, there are plenty and I have tried some of them. Using chopsticks and solving puzzles (as you said)are also good methods to keep your neurons working but, at the end, there is nothing you can do about it. Even heathy people can have a defective gene that will provoke this disease.
DeleteIt is a sad scenario that proves that we are nothing; even if we have developed outstanding technologies, at the end, if our body --or brain-- is demaged, we won't have a chance to fight for it.
I liked the topic of your post. As I told to you the other day, when I read your entry, the movie Away from Her came immediately to my mind, for portrays the characteristics of this disease. Basically, the movie exposes the life of an old couple, whose present is being threatened by Alzheimer. It’s a wonderful movie, very intense, dramatic and ironic in a way. You must watch it!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I do believe in these kinds of conspiracies created by drugstores, because I’ve been told the same idea in many opportunities. There is no such prove about it, but it’s definitely one of the reasons why alternative medicine has become so popular. I believe that people are getting conscious about this situation, questioning the prices and the quality of the drug they are asked to take, which is not always effective.