TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALtH

Persons in this country living with chronic non-communicable diseases are being told that they are at risk for dementia, and are therefore being urged to take better care of themselves.
The appeal is coming from Psychiatrist, Dr. Ermine Belle, who told the congregation of St. Bartholomew’s Church yesterday morning, that diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, which can affect the blood supply to the brain if not treated properly, can result in a person developing vascular dementia. As such, she said it is important that persons with such diagnoses follow their physician’s instruction completely, to help treat their disease and keep dementia at bay.

Dr. Belle’s comments came as she noted that vascular dementia is second only to Alzheimer’s disease, in respect of the most common types of dementia, and she is particularly concerned about it in Barbados, given the high incidence of chronic diseases. This rise in chronic diseases, she explained, is in part due to our sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits.

Speaking earlier in the service, President of the Barbados Alzheimer’s Association, Pamelia Brereton, explained that dementia has become an epidemic worldwide, and Barbados is not exempt. She noted that on a daily basis she receives a number of calls at the Association’s office about persons affected by the disease, and not only elderly persons. She made the point while dismissing the notion that dementia is an illness of old people. Brereton explained that there have been documented cases of persons being diagnosed with the disease in their 30s – referred to as early onset dementia, though the disease is usually diagnosed in persons aged 65 and older.

With that in mind, she added that the older a person is the greater the risk is of them developing dementia, while stating that the younger a person is diagnosed with the disease, the faster they tend to deteriorate.

The Alzheimer’s Association president further told the congregation that the disease can be divided into three stages – mild, moderate and severe through which the symptoms of forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and memory loss, among others, get progressively worse over time.

To that end, she said a key to dealing with persons who have been diagnosed with dementia is to keep them active, physically and mentally.

“Whatever brain cells are left, we need to stimulate them… challenge the brain,” she contended.

Moreover, she said that with a growing ageing population in this country, it is imperative that persons in general are taking steps to keep their bodies and minds active. She also maintained that persons need to exercise more and eat healthy. (JRT)