Tuesday, May 08, 2018

Bump on head ‘doubles risk of getting dementia’

A bump on the head can double the risk of getting dementia, even if you do not lose consciousness, researchers have warned.

More than two-thirds of traumatic brain injuries in England and Wales are classed as ‘mild’. Often caused by falls or minor car crashes, these cases can go unreported because victims fail to realise they have suffered a significant injury.

But a study of more than 350,000 people has found such blows to the head raise the risk of getting dementia by more than double, and the risk is similar to that of being knocked unconscious.
 
Researchers tracked Army veterans who had suffered blows to the head both in military and civilian life for an average of just over four years. A senior author of the study, said: ‘There are several mechanisms that may explain the association between traumatic brain injury and dementia.

‘There’s something about trauma that may hasten the development of neurodegenerative conditions. One theory is that brain injury induces or accelerates the accumulation of abnormal proteins that lead to neuronal death associated with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

‘It’s also possible that trauma leaves the brain more vulnerable to other injuries or ageing processes, but we need more work in this area.’

More than 10,000 people in England and Wales suffered a mild traumatic brain injury between April 2014 and June 2015.

Brain injuries are most common in people aged between 80 and 90, who are vulnerable to falls, and also peak in those aged 20 to 30, who suffer around 15 per cent of these injuries, often from traffic collisions. Traumatic brain injuries do not always cause concussion and a mild brain injury often does not cause loss of consciousness, but can cause temporary amnesia for up to a day.

To look at the effect of the injuries, the US researchers matched 178,779 military veterans who had suffered traumatic brain injuries with an equal number who had not. They found someone’s risk of dementia almost quadrupled if they had suffered a moderate to severe brain injury.

But a brain injury without loss of consciousness raised the risk by 2.36 times, which is similar to the 2.51 times increased risk for people who lost consciousness. The study included veterans whose head injuries could have taken place at home, as well as veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, who were more likely to have been injured in combat zones, including through shockwaves from explosions.

The study’s lead author said: ‘The findings in both groups were similar, indicating that concussions occurring in combat areas were as likely to be linked to dementia as those concussions affecting the general population.’

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/  

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Sunday, November 19, 2017

Epileptic Conditions - How To Manage.

Epilepsy is a condition that starts in the brain and causes seizures in which the patient loses consciousness and has convulsions. He also jerks his arms and legs along with trembling and frothing from the mouth.

The lesser known fact about epilepsy is that there are many types of epileptic conditions-over 40 - and similarly, there are numerous drugs available to treat your epileptic disorder and prevent seizures. Your doctor will diagnose your type of epileptic disorder and prepare a treatment plan for it.

Types of epileptic seizures
Epileptic seizures are generally categorized as either partial or primary, generalized depending on where they originate in the brain. Partial seizures are less intense and they start in one section rather than the entire brain. If you have this type of seizure, you will be aware of what’s happening to you. The other type of seizure affects a larger part of the brain. Here you may have difficulty understanding what's happening to you. Since these spread to the entire brain, you lose consciousness and start convulsing.

Having a seizure can put you at risk for serious injuries including head injuries.
So, if you close to you suffers from epilepsy, it's critical to your health and well being to educate yourself about your condition and have an action plan in place to tackle the seizures which can happen anywhere, and sometimes with no one to assist you or him actively.

Here is what you can do to manage epilepsy- 
1) Educate yourself: You must know as much as possible about your condition. Know your symptoms and learn to recognize the symptoms preceding a seizure. Also, educate your friends and family about epilepsy so that they can support you during a seizure. Educate your family to do the right things when you have a seizure. 

2)Make a seizure response plan: This plan should list the names and numbers of your doctors and two emergency contacts. 

3)Other things you can do as an epileptic: 

Antiepileptic drugs are quite successful in preventing seizures but they should be taken as prescribed. Don’t change your dosage before talking to your doctor.

Sleep properly as lack of sleep can trigger seizures.

Exercising regularly can help keep you physically healthy and reduce depression and also help in managing seizures. 

Manage your stress levels, limit alcohol and cigarettes.

On the other hand, if your family member or friend has epilepsy, this is what you can do:
  1. Roll the person onto one side during a seizure.
  2. Place something soft under the person’s head.
  3. Loosen tie and top buttons.
  4. Don’t put an object in an epileptic’s mouth. It can hurt his/her teeth.
  5. Don't try to restrain him during a seizure.
  6. Clear away stones and other dangerous objects if the patient is thrashing around.
  7. Time the seizures and be calm during them.
  8. Don’t leave the patient alone.                                                   THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.   

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