Say the word Alzheimer’s and many people picture a frail, elderly person in a care home. The risk of dementia does increase with age, but the reality is that dementia is caused by diseases of the brain that don’t discriminate. It could turn bright, fully functioning young people into hostile, confused dependents. A very scary thought, right? Are you at risk?
“Young onset” dementia is dementia that affects people of a working age, usually between 30 and 65 years old. It is also referred to as “early onset” or “working age” dementia. Dementia is the degeneration of the brain that causes a progressive decline in people’s ability to think, reason, communicate and remember. Their personality, mood, and behaviour can also be affected.
Everyone’s experience of dementia is unique and the progression of the condition varies.
The impact of dementia on younger people is so much greater. Younger people are more likely to still be working when they are diagnosed. Many will have significant financial commitments such as a mortgage. They often have children to care for, or dependent parents. Their lives tend to be more active and they have hopes, dreams and ambitions to fulfil up to and beyond their retirement.
Dementia that affects young people can be difficult to diagnose. Awareness amongst GPs is still relatively low and when people are still at work, symptoms are often incorrectly attributed to stress or depression.
A recent study done by UCLA found that young people were increasingly suffering from memory problems. What could be the reason for the sudden incline in numbers?
Doctors have reported a surge in cases of “digital dementia” amongst young people. They say that teenagers have become reliant on digital technology and that they are no longer able to remember everyday details such as their phone numbers. This new dementia causes cognitive disabilities more commonly seen in people who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness!
According to Byun Gi-Won, a director at the Balance Brain Centre in Seoul, the “over-use” of smart phones and gaming devices hampers the development of the brain. Heavy (technology) users are likely to develop the left side of their brain, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped. The right side of the brain is associated with concentration and underdevelopment affects attention and memory span, which could in as many as 15% of cases, lead to the early onset of dementia. Sufferers are also reported to suffer from emotional underdevelopment, with children more at risk than adults because their brains are still growing. Research published earlier this month, found that 14% of young people between ages 18 and 39 complained that their memory was poor!
Professor Colin Pritchard of Bournemouth University and his colleagues reported on this “hidden epidemic” and noted that it cannot be blamed on genetics, because the increase occurred too quickly. So, where does the blame lie? According to Pritchard all the indicators point to the dramatic increase in environmental assaults from things such as chemical food additives, non-ionizing radiation from cell phones and excessive use of electronic devices, to exposure to air and water pollutants.
Can we stop the rise in neurological disorders and associated deaths among increasingly younger adults? Researchers don’t offer a solution but merely point out the need for people to be aware of the problem. Therefore any chance to find a solution, at least at this point, may lie with the individual.
Perhaps each person’s efforts to avoid environmental assaults from food and technology, is a start. It is time to adopt healthful lifestyle habits to ward of the rise in dementia while researchers search for answers.
If the signs of early onset dementia such as memory difficulties, confusion, difficulty to learn new tasks or occasional word-finding difficulties (amongst others), come a little too close for comfort in describing you; talk to your physician.
Source: www.emaxhealth.com, www.youngdementiauk.org, www.dailymail.co.uk, www.telegraph.co.uk, www.womanshealthmag.com
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
