Let us talk about dementia (1)\xa0

I have an announcement for the womenfolk. Habanero pepper, popularly known as ata rodo, is in season! I already bought a bag, and honestly, I’m still dazed by how cheap it was.

Let’s take a cue from the Biblical Joseph, who stored food during years of surplus in preparation for years of famine.

Here’s what you need to do:

Put some water in a pot and place it on the fire. When the water is about to boil, add a bit of palm oil. Cover the pot and let it boil.

Next, add your already-washed pepper into the boiling water and allow it to cook for a short while.

Remove it from the fire and pour it into a sieve to drain the water.

Once drained, spread the pepper out in the sun to dry. It may take a few days to dry completely. If you have a dehydrator, even better.

Ensure you don’t cover your pepper while it’s still wet — you don’t want it to lose its vibrant red colour.

Whenever you want to use it, simply soak the pepper in water first.

By the time ata rodo becomes expensive again, you’ll already have a good supply to last you a long while.

Preserving pepper this way is an ethnobotanical practice passed down from my maternal grandmother to my mother, and then to me.

My mother retired as a headmistress in the primary school sector in 2009. Recently, she lost a friend and fellow retiree who suffered from dementia, and that’s why I chose to talk about this topic.

Now, let’s look at what dementia is.

Dementia is a general term that describes a group of diseases and conditions affecting thinking, memory, reasoning, personality, mood, and behaviour.

It develops when the parts of the brain involved in learning, memory, decision-making, or language are affected by infection or disease. It’s often considered a late-life illness, as it mostly develops in older adults.

Let’s clarify the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia is an umbrella term for symptoms such as memory loss and impaired thinking, while Alzheimer’s disease is a specific brain disorder that causes dementia symptoms. In other words, dementia is a broader term, while Alzheimer’s is a particular diagnosis, though Alzheimer’s disease remains the most common cause of dementia.

The official medical term for dementia is major neurocognitive disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), introduced this change to describe the condition more accurately and to avoid the stigma tied to the word “dementia,” which comes from the Latin for “being out of one’s mind.”

A common misconception is that memory loss always means you or a loved one has dementia. This isn’t true; memory loss can have many causes, and on its own doesn’t confirm dementia.

It’s also true that some memory decline is normal as we age, as some neurons naturally die over time. However, this type of memory loss doesn’t interfere with daily life.

Dementia, on the other hand, disrupts daily functioning. It’s not just forgetting where you left your keys; a person with dementia may forget what keys are even used for.

According to a Neuropsychologist at Mediclinic Morningside, Dr Katie Hamilton, “Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological conditions that progress over time. People with dementia slowly lose the ability to remember, reason, and even communicate, to the point where it affects their daily life and activities.”

Factors that increase the risk of developing dementia include:

1. Age (especially 65 years and above)
2. High blood pressure (hypertension)
3. High blood sugar (diabetes)
4. Being overweight or obese
5. Smoking
6. Family history of dementia
7. Excessive alcohol consumption
8. Physical inactivity
9. Social isolation
10. Depression

Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. The symptoms vary depending on which part of the brain is affected, meaning dementia can affect people in different ways.

Causes of dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and is estimated to account for 60–70 per cent of cases.

Other forms include vascular dementia, caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, which deprives brain cells of oxygen and may lead to their death; dementia with Lewy bodies, characterised by abnormal deposits of protein inside nerve cells, and frontotemporal dementia, which results from degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain.

Dementia may also develop after a stroke or repetitive physical injuries, such as major impacts to the skull.

Researchers have identified several other conditions that may contribute to dementia. These include:

Mixed dementia

Huntington’s disease

Parkinson’s disease

Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease

Prion diseases

Chronic alcohol use (alcohol-related dementia)

Infections such as HIV, syphilis, and Lyme disease

Nutritional deficiencies (vitamins B12, B9 [folate], and E)

Thyroid disorders

Corticobasal syndrome

Hydrocephalus (water on the brain)

Progressive supranuclear palsy

Brain tumours

These conditions are often influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

In its early stages, dementia may cause:

Difficulty coping with change – Trouble accepting alterations in routine or environment.

Subtle changes in short-term memory – Recalling distant events vividly but forgetting recent ones.

Difficulty finding the right words – Increased struggle to recall specific words.

Repetitive speech or actions – Frequently asking the same questions or repeating tasks and stories.

Confused sense of direction – Familiar places become strange; routes once well known are easily forgotten.

Struggling to follow storylines – Difficulty following conversations or narratives.

Changes in mood – Commonly including depression, frustration, or irritability.

Loss of interest – Reduced enthusiasm for hobbies or activities once enjoyed.

Confusion – Difficulty recognising people, places, or events.

Difficulty completing everyday tasks – Trouble performing familiar activities or remembering steps in routine tasks.

A study titled “Smoking, Dementia and Cognitive Decline in the Elderly: A Systematic Review” by Ruth Peters et al. concludes that smoking increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and may also be a risk factor for other forms of dementia.

Similarly, “Alcohol and Dementia – What is the Link? A Systematic Review” by Caspar Wiegmann et al. found that high levels of alcohol consumption are strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).