[Fan Letters].Wang's mother helps take care of her young grandson at Wang Yun's (pseudonym) eldest sister's house, which is a common thing. Despite her age, she always willingly took on the hard work. During the lunch break, Wang's mother suddenly went to the wrong door for some reason, and ran to the bedroom of the eldest sister and brother-in-law to lie down and rest. This move caused an unpleasant evening. That night, the eldest sister's husband Li Zhixiong (pseudonym) muttered dissatisfiedly: "Let your mother sleep on the sofa, the bed is dirty." These words inadvertently revealed his inner dissatisfaction and incomprehension.
These words lingered in Wang's mother's heart, making her feel mixed. She has given a lot to take care of her grandchildren, including cooking for her family, tutoring with homework, and more. She is often disliked by Brother-in-law Li, thinking that she is old and does not do things as well as before. Brother-in-law Li even offered to let Wang's mother return to his home, worried that she might have symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. This remark made Wang's mother feel very angry, and at the same time raised doubts about whether she really had health problems.
[Doctor's reply].As people age, there is a common concern that their brains will shrink, which may affect their cognitive function and quality of life. This article details the causes of brain atrophy to help you better understand and prevent this problem.
Common signs and symptoms of brain atrophy
Memory problems: Brain atrophy often leads to memory loss, including impairment of short-term and long-term memory. Individuals may forget important dates, events, or names, or forget common tasks and activities in their daily lives.
Cognitive decline: People with brain atrophy may experience a decline in cognitive function, including thinking skills, judgment, problem-solving skills, and language skills. This may manifest as difficulty speaking, difficulty understanding complex concepts, or loss of common-sense decision-making.
Mood and behavior changes: Brain atrophy can affect emotional control and behavior. Patients may experience emotional and behavioral problems such as emotional instability, irritability, depression, anxiety, apathy, or social withdrawal.
Movement disorders: Some people may experience movement disorders as brain atrophy progresses, including coordination difficulties, muscle weakness, stiffness, and balance problems. This can lead to difficulty and instability in walking.
Language disorders: Brain atrophy can affect language skills, including language fluency, vocabulary, and grammar. People may have difficulty speaking or have difficulty understanding what others are saying.
Decreased spatial and navigational abilities: Some people may experience problems with spatial perception and navigation, unable to easily identify location or direction, may get lost or confused in familiar places.
Loss of interest and decreased engagement: Brain atrophy can cause patients to lose interest in daily activities and social interactions. They may become isolated and aloof.
Loss of independence: As brain atrophy progresses, patients may gradually lose the ability to live independently and need more care and support.
7 major culprits of brain atrophy: It may cause the onset and acceleration of brain atrophy
Age factor: As we age, the size of the brain naturally decreases, which is an unavoidable physiological phenomenon. This age-related brain atrophy is known as normal senile brain atrophy, but its degree and rate can vary from individual to individual.
Genetic factors: Genetic factors also play an important role in brain atrophy. If you have a history of brain atrophy in your family, you may be more susceptible to the condition.
Vascular health: Vascular health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the brain, leading to brain atrophy. Maintaining good cardiovascular health is important to prevent brain atrophy.
Chronic diseases: Chronic diseases such as depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, etc., may be associated with brain atrophy as they trigger inflammation and nerve damage.
Substance abuse: Long-term drug abuse, especially contraband and alcohol, can damage brain cells, leading to brain atrophy.
Head injury: Head injury, especially repetitive head impact, can trigger chronic traumatic brain injury that can eventually lead to brain atrophy.
Malnutrition: An unbalanced diet, vitamin deficiencies, and insufficient hydration can all adversely affect brain health. Brain cells need adequate nutrients to function properly.
Ways to prevent and manage brain atrophy
Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Following a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining a normal weight, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake can all help maintain brain health.
Manage chronic conditions: If you already have high blood pressure, diabetes, or other chronic conditions, it's important to manage them as recommended by your doctor to reduce damage to your brain.
Protect your head: Avoid head injuries, especially wearing a helmet during sports and activities, to reduce the potential risk of brain injury.
Control your medication use: If you use prescription or over-the-counter medications, always follow the advice of your doctor or pharmacist and avoid substance abuse.
Supplemental nutrition: Getting enough nutrients, including vitamins and minerals that your brain needs, can help maintain brain function.
Regular physical exams: Get regular physical exams and brain imaging tests from your doctor to monitor for potential brain atrophy.
Brain atrophy is a complex problem that is influenced by a variety of factors. Although the occurrence of brain atrophy cannot be completely prevented, the risk of brain atrophy can be reduced and the progression of brain atrophy can be delayed by adopting a healthy lifestyle and active health management measures. It is important to take early preventive measures and focus on brain health to ensure that we can maintain good cognitive function and quality of life as we age.
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