Tag: #disease

National Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, a time to educate ourselves about this condition that affects over 3 million Americans and is a leading cause of irreversible blindness today. There is no cure for glaucoma, so early detection and treatment are essential for preserving vision.

Glaucoma is actually not a single disease, but rather a group of diseases that progressively damage the optic nerve. The most common form, primary open-angle glaucoma, involves deterioration of the optic nerve tissue that is gradual and painless. For this reason, those affected may lose a significant portion of their vision without even noticing. Another type of glaucoma is angle-closure glaucoma, which can be acute or chronic. Acute angle-closure glaucoma may be accompanied by symptoms such as:

  • Pain and redness in the eye
  • Halos or colored rings appearing around lights
  • Blurred vision
  • Severe headache
  • Nausea and vomiting

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency, so you should go to the emergency room or ophthalmologist immediately if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. Both primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma involve an increase in intraocular pressure, which is the pressure inside your eye. This happens when there is either an overproduction of fluid inside your eye or improper drainage of it.

The best way to protect yourself from glaucoma is to get regular comprehensive eye examinations. If detected early enough, there are a variety of glaucoma treatments that help reduce pressure in the eye and slow the damage to the optic nerve, including medications, surgery, and drainage implants. You should also be aware of the risk factors of glaucoma, which include:

  • Age: People over the age of 60 are at an increased risk of developing glaucoma.
  • Race: Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Alaskan people are at an increased risk for certain types of glaucoma.
  • Family history: If someone in your family has had glaucoma, you may also be at an increased risk for developing it.
  • Eye injury: Past trauma to the eye can cause intraocular pressure to increase, increasing the risk of glaucoma in the future.
  • Medical conditions: People with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or sickle cell anemia may have a greater risk of glaucoma.
  • Eye anatomy: Having thin corneas, sensitive optic nerves, or extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness may increase risk of glaucoma.
  • Medications: Prolonged use of corticosteroids may increase risk of secondary glaucoma.

The National Eye Institute predicts that the number of Americans with glaucoma could double over the next three decades. Educating yourself about it now is a smart step, and you can now share what you’ve learned with your friends and family. Enjoy the rest of the month, and as always, stay healthy and stay safe!

–The Wellness and Stress Clinic Team

Sources:

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness

What is Alzheimer’s Disease? 

Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills overtime. Its slow progression could lead to dementia ultimately inhibiting a person from carrying out simple daily life tasks. Caregivers make a huge difference within these people’s lives. Alzheimer’s is not the same as memory loss from aging. Although during the preclinical phase of alzheimer’s disease people seem to be symptomless, there are actually big changes happening in the brain. 

According to the National Institute on Aging: (https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet#stages

Alzhiemers starts when “abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the brain.” This causes once-healthy neurons to stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons, and ultimately die. There are additional complex brain changes that occur that also play a role in Alzheimer’s. 

Photo source- https://www.drugwatch.com/health/alzheimers-disease/ 

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s vary depending on the stage.  As the stages progress, the symptoms increasingly interfere with daily life. The first symptoms of Alzheimer’s can vary from person to person and be difficult to catch.  Here are some of the symptoms throughout different stages.  

Mild symptoms: 

-trouble handling money and paying bills

– repeating questions

-taking longer to complete normal daily tasks

– personality and behavior changes. 

Moderate symptoms: 

-Memory loss worsens

-control of language weakens

-confusion

-difficulty recognizing family and friends

-Difficulty completing simply daily tasks

-hallucinations and paranoia 

Severe symptoms

-Can not communicate

-Depend fully on a caregiver

Caregivers: 

Caring for a person with Alzhiemers can be a difficult task both physically and mentally.  It’s challenging to provide the right care for the person you love. This is due to the need for daily care and switching of family roles. If you can’t care for a loved one, there are facilities and programs that can help. However, if you take on the responsibility for caring for  your loved one, here are some ways to get started:

  1. Become knowledgeable about the disease. 

Understand it. Think about your long term options for caregiving. There are programs that can help train you on how to take proper care of the person you love and strategies with helping deal with difficult behaviors. 

  1. Establish a support group

Ask the family if they too can contribute to caregiving for this family member. Reach out to support groups and learn from others who are also going through this experience.  

  1. Maintain your own health 

You can not help others if you are not healthy yourself. Make sure you have good coping skills and know how to calm down if needed. Maintaining physical exercise and a healthy diet can really help this. 

Here are some resources to help caregivers: 

First steps to caregiving- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers/caregiving 

Care training- https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/care-training-resources 

Online learning resources- https://www.endalznow.org/alzheimers-prevention-101/resources-for-alzheimers-caregivers 

If you have any questions about Alzhiemer’s disease, or need help caring for a loved one, please call the clinic at (901) 306-5433 to schedule an appointment. As always, stay safe and healthy!

-Wellness and Stress Clinic Team