Forgetfulness is a serious condition, experts warn

Forgetfulness, loss of memory, disorientation, mood swing, behavioural issues have been said to be a serious conditions associated with dementia of Alzheimer type.
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time.
Experts from the Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Nigeria (ADAN) in conjunction with Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Yaba made this known during a public sensitization walk in held in Lagos, tagged ‘Walk for Life.’
Speaking with Daily Times, President of the association, Dr Valentine Ucheagwu said, “forgetfulness is a serious condition because what distinguishes human being from other animals is their high level of memory organization and it is common among older adults.”

According to him, it has been established that people are more likely to grow old and there is need to create awareness about dementia, especially the Alzheimer type.
“People lose their memory as they grow old. People should know that it is a disorder and not witchcraft or myth and the earlier we diagnose, the better for the individual.
The cause for most Alzheimer’s cases is still mostly unknown but genetic differences have been identified.

“If your grandfather or grandmother forgets things, forgets names of family or friends, children’s name and have a total forgetfulness of himself, there is a tendency of genetic inheritance,” Ucheagwu said.
Adding, he said, “when people start growing old in their late 50s and early 60s and they start having some cognitive problem or memory loss, when they don’t where keys are kept, it starts gradually and you may think it is not a problem, it is at that time that you should diagnose early. You can consult a neurologist, psychiatric, clinical psychologists to get help.
“For now, there is no permanent cure for the dementia of Alzheimer type but early diagnose can help delay the total onset of the problem.”
Explaining further, the acting Medical Director of Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Yuba, Dr Adebayo Richard said, Dementia is a broad disorder that commonly affects the older adults “and the older people get, the more we pick cases of dementia and 80% of cases of dementia belongs to Alzheimer.
“Of course, when people are getting older, it is possible they have problem with remembering things but in the case of dementia, it is not just the normal forgetfulness that is associated with normal aging, but this is an abnormal form of memory loss. With time, other features become more pronounced and there will be certain behavior that we consider abnormal like urinating on themselves.”
The 2006 Nigerian population shows that about 3.1% Nigerians are 60 years and above, “and this is the age range at which the disease is common,” says Professor Richard Uwakwe of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
“Among people who are 65 to 70 years, about 5% may be having the disease and as people grow older, the tendency increases. Some studies in the country shows that 7% or 3% of the older adults have it but we are not too sure of the figure but from what we see in the clinic, the problem is quite large.”
The Don said, people who in physical activities and eat healthy have a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
He however called on the government to make policies that will improve the social welfare of older adults in the country.