September is World Alzheimer’s Month! Join us this month as we support Alzheimer’s Disease International. They spend September raising more awareness about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. They want to help people understand more about Alzheimer’s and prevent dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease International also works to reduce the stigma around dementia.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
During World Alzheimer’s Month, we’re talking more about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a kind of dementia, or degenerative brain disease. Over time, Alzheimer’s disease impacts the brain. It will slowly affect more of the brain, eventually leading to cognitive decline. This includes memory loss, trouble understanding language, and even personality or mood changes.
Alzheimer’s disease is more common in older adults. However, some younger adults can have early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This brain disease affects everyone in a different way. As time goes on, people with Alzheimer’s disease will notice that it’s harder to take care of themselves. They may even struggle to perform the tasks of daily life. This can include getting dressed in the morning or eating. It’s estimated that approximately 50 million people in the world have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease affects everyone differently, but there are some early warning signs. You can watch for these signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in yourself or in a loved one. Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Memory loss, such as forgetting where you left your keys or forgetting an appointment.
- Misplacing things, like putting the keys in the fridge or putting your ring in the butter dish.
- Difficulty doing familiar tasks, such as getting dressed or following a simple recipe.
- Having a hard time keeping track of things, such as remembering your to-do list.
- Having problems with language, including having a hard time understanding conversations. Alzheimer’s can also make it hard to find the words you want to say.
- Feeling disoriented, such as forgetting where you are or what time it is.
- Decreases in judgement, such as wearing several sweaters on a hot day, or leaving the house without a coat on a cold day.
- Trouble with spatial relationships, such as having difficulty judging how far away an object is.
- Struggling with social activities and withdrawing from social gatherings
- Changes in personality, mood, or behavior.
If you notice any of these early signs in yourself or a loved one, visit your doctor right away. Ask them how you can slow the progress of the disease, and start managing the symptoms.
Hearing Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease
One of the ways you can reduce your risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is by treating your hearing loss! Hearing loss and Alzheimer’s disease both affect the brain. When you’re struggling to hear, you put a lot of strain on your brain. This leads to listening fatigue and trouble focusing on tasks. Hearing loss can also cause problems in memory. You spend all your energy straining to make out the words, which causes a strain on your cognitive abilities and your brain capacity to encode what you’re hearing into your long-term memory.
Treating hearing loss enables you to hear the sounds around you without straining to hear. You will be able to follow conversations and enjoy going to social events. When you wear hearing aids, your brain will be able to process sounds without experiencing listening fatigue. That’s why hearing aids can help reduce your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
With hearing aids you’ll be getting the right kind of mental exercise. You’ll enjoy conversations with your loved ones, hear the TV, and even go to social gatherings. This will keep your brain active and healthy, reducing your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Treatment for Hearing Loss
Join us in celebrating World Alzheimer’s Month by focusing on hearing health. Visit us for a comprehensive hearing test. We are committed to helping you hear clearly. This September, reduce your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by treating your hearing loss.