World Alzheimer's Day is celebrated on September 21, and the month of September is regarded as World Alzheimer's Month. World Alzheimer's Day is observed to highlight the warning symptoms of dementia and the necessity of getting a diagnosis as soon as possible. The theme for World Alzheimer's Month in 2021 is 'Know dementia, know Alzheimer's'. Many health organizations hold Alzheimer’s walks on World Alzheimer’s Day. Communities throughout the world hold seminars and public events to spread awareness about Alzheimer’s.

About Alzheimer’s

The disease is named after German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer, who first diagnosed the disease in a 50-year-old woman in 1901. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disorder. It slowly destroys the memory and other brain functions of a person. Eventually, when someone has Alzheimer’s, they lose the ability to carry out simple tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Medical science hasn’t found a cure yet, nor is there a way to prevent the disease. Early detection benefits the patient in treating this disease effectively. The treatment modalities include medicinal, psychological and caregiving aspects. Family and social support play a key role.

Alzheimer’s in India

Alzheimer's disease mostly affects elderly people. Since the population of elderly people is rising in India, this is the cause of alarm. According to the Dementia India Report 2010 by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), there were around 3.7 million Indians with dementia in 2010 with the number projected to rise to 7.6 million by 2030. General awareness about Alzheimer’s disease remains low throughout the country and even lower in rural and underdeveloped areas. It starts with forgetting things and develops short memory loss which results in difficulty in remembering recent events, eventually resulting in the inability to look after daily activities and even basic needs.

Alzheimer’s is the 7th deadliest disease around the world. The condition causes more disability and poor health than any other disease. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease cannot be reversed, however, with more awareness, family members of the patient can learn to manage the condition.

Warning signs

India is not prepared to tackle the burden of degenerative diseases like Dementia which is due to the lack of awareness of geriatric diseases. Let's try to create awareness among common people of dementia and its symptoms so that its early detection is possible.