A recent data confirms 53 bottles of alcohol drank per person who is above 15 years of age every year. In this complicated tapestry of human experiences, alcohol has played a significant role overtime. It affects our social, cultural and personal aspects of the world. But lesser people are aware about the damaging part of it. Before it gets talked about by many, alcohol may always remain a path to enjoying life for individuals. In this blog, we are going to educate on how alcohol affects our brains as we get older. It is not a simple concept, but the following is a step-by-step guide to it. Everything from our choices to little habits related to drinking can affect us in major ways in the later stages of life. Let’s start this discovery now.

What is Alcohol Induced Dementia?

Alcohol induced dementia in simple terms can mean being affected gradually with the act of drinking alcohol on a timely basis. It results in difficulty to think and memorise even minor things with time. But it is not a general memory problem rather a disturbing one. Recognising the warning signs earlier can save an individual from its damaging consequences over time. Some of the early signs can be forgetting simple things or getting confused more often. 

Other early signs may include struggle in making decisions and maintaining relationships. Why it is important to note these symptoms is to manage the disease well. This is exactly how we slow down on the road when we see a warning sign ahead. Early identification means we can deal with what the brain is going to suffer from ahead. 

Preventing Dementia

Dementia prevention can be divided into two categories. The first is the role of lifestyle choices while the second can be the strategies to decrease the dementia risk. Our daily selection of things can make a big difference in preventing alcohol dementia. Picture taking care of a garden, what we put as seeds and grow in time determines how well the plant will develop further. Similarly, the way we live our lives can either save us from being damaged or harm us in multiple ways.

Consuming too much alcohol can be damaging to our thinking capabilities and memorising things. However, the strategy is moderation. Knowing the limits always helps to keep ourselves safe. Just like how we should not overdo the water to the plants, we should not overdo alcohol to ourselves too. 

Some simple tricks to reduce dementia risk include keeping our brains sharp with different activities. These activities can be like an exercise for the brain. Types of food items, physical activities and more can keep our brains healthy with time. Balance the drinking habit with a healthy routine to save yourself from suffering from dementia. 

Dementia Treatment

1. The importance of early detection and intervention:

Early diagnosis in alcohol dementia is as important as catching a small fire before it burns the whole house. Identifying the issue initially can help you manage the illness well and good. It can even develop the chances of slow growth and evolution of the disease. 

With that being said, there are several tools and mediums to decrease the chances of alcohol related dementia. Doctors and expert medical professionals use various medications and therapies as these tools to support the individual. Improving thinking skills, changing lifestyle, applying cognitive therapies are some of the several ways in which a doctor can help. 

2.  Support and care for individuals dealing with alcohol dementia:

Trying to navigate a maze with challenges is exactly how living any type of dementia is. Certain challenges like facing memory problems, difficulty in doing daily activities and losing relationships are very common. Support in these circumstances can change or say, transform the life of a suffering individual. Proper care, love and understanding can help the person counter various problems in their own ways. Moreover, communities can act like a safety net and comfort for these individuals. 

Identifying the vital role of caregivers and available resources is highly important. They form a strong network ensuring individuals with dementia to never confront the illness with isolation again. A caring and coordinating community can give tons of hope to the patient in no time.

Non-Medical Interventions

The first and the foremost concept that arises in non-medical interventions is cognitive therapy. The therapy is formed to improve the condition of the patient with thinking skills enhancement and declining the growth rate at a slow speed. Some of the key examples include reminiscence therapy which is used to help a patient memorise things in order to stimulate cognitive function. 

Another step includes maintaining a balanced diet along with brain boosting nutrients as well as regular exercise to improve the circulation in the body. Similarly, mentally, an individual can improve the condition by performing various tasks and puzzles or personally preferred hobbies. These lifestyle changes can empower a person and their caregivers to perform the tasks regularly with more activeness and positivity. 

Conclusion

The path to developing alcohol related dementia is very common yet many people are unaware of it. Resultantly, several individuals end up developing the disease every year globally. Medically, it is recommended to never ignore the early signs of alcohol dementia like forgetting things and finding difficulty to perform certain tasks. Regular check-ups or the necessary check-up during the time of doubt with an expert medical professional is highly important. Apart from that, a well-maintained diet followed by regular exercise can support the individual in a better way.