Cases of Alzheimer's disease on the rise in India
POSTED September 20, 2009 - 14:58 | POSTED BY Neharika Sabharwal
Last edited by Neharika Sabharwal on September 20, 2009 - 15:10
Alzheimer’s is a progressive, neuro-degenerative disease that alters the brain, causing impaired memory, thinking, behavior and functional activity.
It is the most common form of dementia that inflicts nearly20 per cent people above the age of 60 and 40 per cent over 80 years of age.
Alzheimer’s is becoming more common in India with life expectancy rising, thanks to medical advancement. It is estimated that currently 40 lakh people in India and 2crore people worldwide are suffering from this disease.
According to a report from Alzheimer’s Disease International, nearly 4.6 million new cases of dementia are reported worldwide annually. It is projected that in the year 2050, over 100 million people around the world will suffer from it.
Workshop organized on World Alzheimer's Day
To mark World Alzheimer’s Day, the Research and Scientific Society Gandhi Medical College Bhopal, is going to organize free Alzheimer's disease examination camp in Hamidia Hospital on September 21 from 11 am to 1 pm.
The national crusade is aimed to create awareness and tackle the dementia problem faced by the country’s weakest citizens. The camp, a health education program is being organized by Dr TN Dubey, Consultant Neurologist and Professor Gandhi Medical College to spread awareness and counsel caregivers.
The Alzheimer’s disease not only impacts all aspects of a patient’s life but also the lives of people who care for them.
Symptoms of disease
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain which affects the efficiency of the person’s nervous system adversely. Although the symptoms of Alzheimer’s affect different people in different ways, the most common sign is short-term memory loss.
Over time, the disease assumes alarming proportions. A patient starts forgetting faces, how to get to a familiar place, misplaces objects, repeat things and becomes agitated and suspicious.
If the disease is detected early, consultations with a psychiatrist, a neurologist or geriatric specialist can lead to effective management of the condition.
However without timely medical intervention the brain becomes weaker and starts shrinking.
As the disease advances, the memory lapses become more pronounced and the dementia begins to affect the thinking, judgment, communication, and emotional stability of the patient making him completely dependent on others to carry out their daily work.
