Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes & Down Syndrome are Patients’ Life Partners: Learn to live with them

Like diabetes and ‘Down syndrome’, Alzheimer’s disease is a life-long partner. Each of the trio is a silent invader. But, the symptoms are quite evident at the initial stages.

For instance, the diabetic will frequent the lavatory or urinal, keep on feeling thirsty, and also feel generally weak.

The general symptoms of the Alzheimer’s patient as well as of one suffering from ‘Down syndrome’ are quite similar. This is because sufferers of both the latter two ailments gradually lose faculties of memory and speech. Both the two diseases affect the brain neurons. The causes may be different but the consequences are the same.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE & DOWN SYNDROME

Alzheimer’s disease is an ailment of the brain. Alzheimer’s patients gradually but surely lose the faculties of memory and speech. This progressive brain disease has been linked to varied causes. The primary one is the gene of the patient concerned.

Alzheimer’s disease also has similarity with another brain disorder known as the ‘Down syndrome’. Both Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease cause the brain to malfunction. Both destroy the brain neurons.

Another similarity among the trio is that hereditary factors or what is known as genes do play a prominent role in assessing the incidence or likelihood as well as the intensity of the diseases on particular patients.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A SLOW INVADER

We know that diabetes strikes slowly and silently besides being a life partner of the patients concerned. Similarly, Alzheimer’s disease and ‘Down syndrome’ are slow and silent invaders and stay put for the remaining part of the life of the patients (just as diabetes). Hence the need to constantly monitor any change of behavior in the lifestyles of the near and dear ones.

For instance, diabetics must constantly monitor the sugar levels in blood and urine. In extreme cases, the patient may have to regularly take insulin. The person will have to observe discipline in the dietary habits. Irrespective of the symptoms may be, the patient will have to be constantly cared for by the kith and kin. Since it is a lifelong ailment, a person can definitely lead a normal life by following a disciplined life.

Similar is the case with the patients suffering from the brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease or Down syndrome. The symptoms of memory loss and speech loss appear over a time. The cumulative effect of these two factors can even lead to motor loss or the failure of the patient to move his limbs. By and by, Alzheimer’s disease adversely affects the nervous system as well.