Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

By Alycia Davis

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June offers an opportunity to share resources for Alzheimer’s disease and highlight the importance of brain health. Throughout this month, the Alzheimer’s Association encourages people around the world to support the movement by wearing purple and learning how to take steps to prevent the disease. This month also promotes taking the time to talk to those individuals and family members affected and encourage more research to find a cure.

Awareness and recognition are key to increasing the diagnosis of dementia as well as better understanding and management of?Alzheimer’s disease?(AD), which is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting?nearly 6.5 million U.S. residents. One of the first steps toward raising awareness is educating?people on important facts concerning the progression of the illness and the number of older adults that it affects.

Dementia affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language, with Alzheimer’s disease as the most common form of dementia. While the risk of developing AD increases with age, ?it is not considered a “normal” part of aging. The early signs of dementia include behavioral changes, memory loss, difficulty finding words, confusion or disorientation, and personality changes or paranoia. Reach out to your primary care doctor if you or a loved one is experiencing memory problems or other dementia symptoms.

According to the CDC, here are some ways you can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease:

Manage high blood pressure: Living a healthy lifestyle can help you keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Try choosing healthy meal and snack options and avoiding options that have a high sodium content.

Manage blood sugar: Regular exercise can help keep your blood sugar levels on track. Try eating at regular times without skipping meals and drinking water instead of juice or soda.

Maintain a healthy weight: Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight includes healthy eating, physical activity, optimal sleep, and stress reduction.

Be physically active: Regular physical activity can lead to better sleep, reduces stress/anxiety, and lowers blood pressure. Start with activities you enjoy. Federal guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week for adults.

Quit smoking: Quitting smoking can improve your overall health and reduce your risk for many smoking-related illnesses. There are a handful of resources available to you for help with quitting smoking.

Avoid excessive drinking: Excessive drinking has immediate effects that can increase the risk of many health conditions but can also lead to long-term health risks that can cause other serious health problems.

Prevent and correct hearing loss: Hearing loss can have a profound impact on the quality of day-to-day life. Try reducing your time in noisy areas, wear hearing protection such as foam plugs, and keep the volume of music at a safe level.

Get enough sleep: Getting the correct amount of good quality sleep is important for people of all ages. Try removing electronic devices from the bedroom and creating a quiet, dark, relaxing, and comfortable bedroom.

If it seems overwhelming to make multiple changes at once, try making gradual changes. For example, start with dedicating 30 minutes a night to reading or doing a crossword puzzle, plan on getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep at night, schedule an annual physical exam with your general physician, or simply start taking a short walk every day. These subtle lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your overall health and wellness as well as your cognitive health.

For more information regarding Alzheimer’s Disease and available resources, please visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Aging-Alzheimers-and-Dementia.aspx.

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