Epilepsy Foundation of Pakistan President and noted neurophysician of the country Dr Fowzia Siddiqui has said that age-related dementia could be better dealt with proper precaution, care and lifestyle changes.
On the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day, she said that it is considered in our society that as a person ages it is normal if he or she becomes more forgetful. She said in this regard it needs to create awareness that this forgetfulness could be Alzheimer’s disease. She said this disease is a serious ailment and proper awareness could save elderly people and their families from a lot of trouble. She said this day is celebrated on September 21 each year. On this day, the world concentrates its efforts on creating awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Fowzia Siddiqui said due to unhealthy routines of our modern life this disease could attack well before the ripe old age. She said diet plays an important role in this regard.
She said the use of artificial ingredients in food, lack of proper sleep; living in artificial light and avoiding exposure to direct sunlight make our nervous system weaker.
She said growing stress levels should be avoided at all costs. She said environmental pollution and emission of harmful gases also affects our mental health. She said lack of vitamins especially vitamin E and vitamin B-12, essential minerals also affect our mental health. She said almonds and walnut contain vitamin E which boosts our brain.
However, experts agree that in the vast majority of cases, Alzheimer’s, like other common chronic conditions, probably develops as a result of complex interactions among multiple factors, including age, genetics, environment, lifestyle and coexisting medical conditions. Although some risk factors — such as age or genes — cannot be changed, other risk factors — such as high blood pressure and lack of exercise — usually can be changed to help reduce risk. Research in these areas may lead to new ways to detect those at highest risk.
