Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has decided to take a break from acting after discovering the risk of Alzheimer's. This news has shocked millions of fans worldwide. Now, what is Alzheimer's? It is a neurological ailment that causes cognitive decline and memory loss. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the death of brain cells. If you are experiencing frequent memory loss, this should not be ignored. Let’s take a look at the symptoms, causes, and preventive measures of Alzheimer's disease. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is an incurable and irreversible brain condition. The condition has a profound impact on a person's memory, reasoning, learning, and organizational abilities, and ultimately impairs their capacity to do routine everyday tasks. Alzheimer's disease is not a typical component of aging. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease worsen with time. In fact, experts estimate that the disease process may continue for at least ten years before the onset of Alzheimer's clinical manifestations. Read More: Safe Toys for Children: Tips to avoid harmful playing objects German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, a pioneer in correlating symptoms to microscopic brain changes, tells the eerie case of Auguste D., a woman with severe memory loss, unjustified suspicions about her family, and other deteriorating psychological abnormalities. At her autopsy, he saw significant shrinkage and aberrant deposits surrounding nerve cells in her brain. Dr. Alzheimer passed away in 1915, never imagining that his experience with Auguste D. would impact the lives of millions and spark a large worldwide research initiative. Dr. Alzheimer is revered by scientists not just for his ground-breaking description of a serious illness, but also as a role model. He created a new benchmark for comprehending neurodegenerative illnesses by developing a deep therapeutic interaction with his patients and using innovative scientific methods to assess how symptoms connected to physical brain changes manifest. Read More: 7 Homemade Drinks for Sore Throat Symptoms and Signs of Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss. Recent talks and occurrences may be difficult to recall at an early stage. As the illness advances, memory deficits increase, and more symptoms emerge. Initially, a person with Alzheimer's disease may be aware of memory and thinking organization difficulties. A family member or acquaintance may be more likely to observe the worsening of symptoms. Changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer's disease exacerbate problems with: Memory Everyone has periodic memory lapses, but Alzheimer's disease is characterized by persistent and worsening memory loss that impairs the capacity to perform at work or at home. Read More: Food, Drinks during Dengue: What to consume, what to avoid Individuals with Alzheimer's may repeat comments and inquiries repeatedly. Forget talks, appointments, and activities, and subsequently do not recall them. Frequently misplace belongings, frequently placing them in odd places. Get lost in familiar surroundings. Eventually, forget the names of loved ones and commonplace items. Multitasking Managing funds, balancing checkbooks, and paying bills on time may be very demanding, and multitasking is especially difficult. A person with Alzheimer's may eventually lose the ability to identify and manipulate numbers. Making choices and judgments Alzheimer's disease diminishes the capacity to make appropriate choices and judgments in daily circumstances. A person may, for instance, make bad or unusual decisions in social encounters or wear unsuitable clothing for the weather. It may be more challenging to react successfully to routine concerns, such as food on the stove that is burning or unexpected driving scenarios. Read More: Conjunctivitis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention Planning and completing routine duties As the illness develops, tasks that formerly required sequential steps, such as planning and making a meal or playing a beloved game, become difficult. People with severe Alzheimer's disease often forget how to do fundamental functions such as dressing and washing. Alterations in personality and conduct Moods and behaviors may be affected by Alzheimer's disease-related brain alterations. Because these abilities are governed by regions of the brain impacted later in the progression of the illness, they may be retained for longer. Causes of Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease is caused by aberrant protein accumulation in the brain. The accumulation of these proteins, which are known as amyloid protein and tau protein, causes cell death. Read More: Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem In addition to nerve cells, the human brain includes around 100 billion different types of cells. The nerve cells collaborate to carry out all the communications required for cognitive processes such as thinking, learning, remembering, and planning. Scientists think that amyloid protein accumulates in brain cells to create plaques, which are bigger aggregates. Tau forms tangles composed of twisted fibers of another protein. These plaques and tangles impede the connection between nerve cells, preventing them from performing their functions. Alzheimer's disease symptoms are caused by the gradual and progressive loss of nerve cells, which begins in one region of the brain and spreads to others. How to Minimize the Risk of Alzheimer's  There are no proven preventative methods. At present, the most effective means of preventing cognitive decline are behaviors that promote health. Read More: Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Tips for Parents The following steps may be useful: Attempt to stop smoking:  If you are a smoker, quitting has both immediate and long-term health advantages. Exercise frequently:  Physical activity decreases the risk of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Keep your mind engaged: Try some mental conditioning activities. Eat healthily:  Consume a properly balanced diet with the right amount of fruits and vegetables. Read More: World Mental Health Day: What effect does depression have on the performance of athletes? Maintain a socially engaged lifestyle: It is probable that friendships, volunteering, and hobbies will help your general health. Before making significant changes to your lifestyle, consult with your physician. Treatment of Alzheimer's  Although there is no cure, several therapies might temporarily alleviate symptoms. Many individuals with Alzheimer's disease learn to manage their symptoms and enhance their quality of life. Medications Cholinergic medications may temporarily alleviate mild to severe Alzheimer's disease's cognitive symptoms. These function by raising the concentration of acetylcholine, a brain neurotransmitter that helps reestablish communication between brain cells. Other drugs alleviate behavioral problems including insomnia, agitation, anxiety, and sadness. Although these therapies do not directly cure Alzheimer's disease, they may enhance the quality of life. Read More: Spending Money for Happiness: 10 Effective Ways Lifestyle changes A person with Alzheimer's disease should, to the extent feasible, maintain normal social contact with friends and family, engage in regular exercise, and participate in activities that stimulate the brain. Consult a physician if you have any safety-related concerns (such as driving abilities). Verdict The disorder known as Alzheimer's disease is one that causes neurodegeneration. Memory loss and cognitive decline are caused by the accumulation of plaques and tangles in the brain, in addition to the death of brain cells.  At this time, there is no known therapy that will reverse the condition, but there are medications and other therapies that may assist improve a person's cognitive, psychological, and behavioral symptoms, as well as their quality of life.  Read More: National Mental Health Strategy 2020-2030: Towards ensuring quality mental healthcare So far, we have discussed the signs, reasons, and prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Hope it helps!

​​​​​​​Memory is a very important element to move forward in human life. People may lose memory for a variety of reasons. Sometimes memory loss can occur for a short time and sometimes it can be long term. So, knowing the reasons for memory loss will help prevent it. Further, the proper knowledge of symptoms will help anyone to seek help before the problem becomes worse. What is memory loss? Usually, memory loss is defined as unusual forgetfulness. When a person cannot remember new events and cannot recall one or more past memories, a memory loss may occur. It can stay for a short time and then resolve by itself. Or, it can happen for a long time and may not go away and depending on the reason it may get worse overtime. In severe cases, this kind of memory impairment may hamper the daily living activity  Read:Covid-19 Brain Fog: How to improve memory power and brain health after Covid Type of memory loss Scientists have found three types of memory loss: short term memory loss, long term memory loss and mild Cognitive Impairment. All of these memory loss problems have their own symptoms and causes. Short term memory loss Usually, the short-term memory stores the information for 30 seconds and with the short term memory loss problem people may forget the things that have happened recently. Although it is a normal event for the aging person, it can also indicate something more serious.  Symptoms of short-term memory loss There are some common problems that might indicate that someone is facing short term memory loss. People with this problem tend to forget recent events. For example, forgetting something that has been seen or read recently and forgetting recent events. Sometimes people also tend to forget that he/she already asked a question.  Read: Covid-19 Antibody Test: What You Need to Know Long term memory loss Human brain’s long-term memory stores the information over time. Further, it has unlimited storage of events, facts, etc.  However, this unlimited memory can weaken with age, which is normal. With age the brain’s usual processing speed may get slow and sometimes it can be challenging for multitasking. Although the processing speed is reduced, memory, knowledge and skill stay steady. The usual age-related problems include facing trouble finding the right word, losing things often, and occasionally forgetting appointments, names, but remembering them later. These symptoms are totally fine, but losing skills can be a signal of serious problems. Symptoms of long-term memory loss There are few top reasons that indicate a person is facing long-term memory loss. If anyone faces new problems with speaking and writing, such as struggling with vocabulary, this might be a symptom of long-term memory loss. Further, changes in mood or behavior, confused about time or place and facing difficulties completing familiar daily tasks. All these are the most common symptoms of long term memory loss. Read:The link between the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) Some older people may face problems with memory that are noticeable, but are not serious to affect daily function. This kind of memory loss problem is called mild cognitive impairment. However, mild cognitive impairment is not that severe like the memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s or dementia disease. As a result, people with mild cognitive impairment don’t face personality change problems that are usually faced by the Alzheimer patient.

The harmful effects of Covid-19 infections are not limited to the lungs and respiratory tract of the human body. Numerous cases around the world have shown that the multifarious impact of Coronavirus can damage other organs, including the heart, nerves, kidneys, and skin. Apart from these, Covid-19 causes major damage to the brain. The problem may persist in patients with mild Covid symptoms or who have recovered already. For many COVID survivors, the problem might emerge late. In some cases, Covid-19 leaves a long-lasting impression on the brain. The most common problem patients face is brain fog. Let’s discuss some basic issues about post-COVID brain fog. What is brain fog? Brain fog is one of the critical problems in the brain. This problem weakens the cognitive capacity of the brain, which makes the patients mentally exhausted. As a result, the brain becomes hesitant to do anything.  While an individual suffers from brain fog, the normal functioning of his/her brain gets disrupted. In this situation, the memory becomes weak, and the way of thinking also changes. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the patient to concentrate. As a result, the person loses his/her regular efficiency at study, professional work, and/or other regular activities. Read Covid-19 Antibody Test: What You Need to Know What is Covid-19 Brain Fog? Experts have found that about 20% of the covid survivors return to the doctor after a few weeks of recovery with brain fog symptoms. Reportedly, these patients did not have any issues with memory or brain before the Covid infection. Post-Covid brain fog may lead to diverse health conditions like strokes, mental disorders, delirium, delusions, fatigue, anxiety. In fact, scientists have found that coronavirus-induced neurological problems are limitless. What does brain fog feel like? If someone is affected by brain fog, s/he might experience some common signs and symptoms such as loss of memory, failure to understand any subject easily, failure to pay full attention to any matter, repeatedly falling into confusion, being hesitant for a long time in making a decision, losing patience, etc. Read Long COVID Syndrome: Long Term Effects of COVID-19 How does Covid-19 affect the Brain? According to researchers, this 'brain fog' is usually seen immediately after being discharged from the hospital. However, it does not stay too many months if proper measures are taken. Since the first emergence of Covid-19 infection in the human body in December 2019, the disease has turned into a pandemic. Still today, the virus is new to the human body's immune system. This is why the brain becomes overactive after the arrival of this new virus inside the body. Now the question is, how does the Covid-19 reach the brain? The virus can pass through the hematogenous space or blood as well as the olfactory space (middle of the nose). The body contains certain receptors called angiotensin-converting enzymes, which are found in endothelial cells in the brain and the Coronavirus can easily get attached to that. The covid affects both sides of the brain. The virus also affects veins and arteries in the brain. When the blood vessels constrict, it hinders the natural flow of blood circulation in the human body. As a result, the supply of oxygen also decreases. Nevertheless, coronavirus has a rapid effect on the brain. The amount of paralysis is much higher in stroke with covid. Read COVID-19 Third Wave: Things We Need to Know Improve memory power and brain health after Covid Following are some of the ways to improve memory and brain health after covid. Adequate sleep Daily sleep is very effective in protecting and improving the brain. It is because the brain gets to rest in the middle of sleep. Usually, adults need eight hours of sleep daily, and good sleep makes the brain more efficient. The brain stores the latest information during sleep. And sleep is called a memory charger. During sleep, the memory becomes ready to capture the next memory. However, some patients might face sleeping disorders after Covid. In that case, the doctor's consultation is needed. Playing memory games Since the virus damages memory cells, the patient should invest some time each day in memory games, and related activities to recover lost attention and memories. Moreover, the patient should create ways that can stimulate the mind.  However, it is also recommended for a healthy person. All the nerves of the brain, including the memory part of the brain are activated during the play. Which eventually combats the problem of memory loss and helps in increasing the memory power. Read How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last? Exercise for brain The more the patient uses the brain, the more the brain will work. The human brain has a wonderful ability; this ability is known as nerve flexibility. With the right stimulus, the human brain is capable of forming new neural pathways and changing existing connections. That is why the patient should work on learning something new. Thus the brain will get something new to work on.  The new information eventually helps to increase the cognitive ability, which will increase the strength of nerve flexibility. In this case, puzzle-solving, scrabble, and sudoku can be good exercises for the brain. Possibly those tasks will greatly help to improve the brain activities like focusing, concentrating, power of thinking, memorizing, decision making, etc.  Healthy diet 20% of the sugar and energy from the food goes to the brain. The brain functions totally depend on its glucose levels. If the level of glucose-intake changes, various cognitive problems might arise. When a person eats his/her favorite foods, it releases the chemical dopamine into the 'reward area' of the brain resulting in a happy feeling in the mind. Brain cells are made up of fats. So one should not remove oil and fat from the food list. Furthermore, almonds, oilseeds, fish, etc., are good for brain health. Read Coronavirus: How to get your smell and taste back after COVID-19? Aerobic exercise The hippocampus area of the human brain works to retain memory in the brain. According to scientists, exercise increases the memory of the brain along with the body. And new cells are born in the brain. Exercise makes the hippocampus excited and swollen which eventually improves the process of retaining memories. Avoid drugs and alcohol Drugs and alcohol adversely affect the brain. For Covid-19 survivors, consumption of alcohol and drugs is strictly prohibited. So, avoiding these substances will provide the brain a chance to heal. Meditation It is harder to find a more beneficial practice than 'meditation' to keep the brain well. It helps the mind to increase concentration. Moreover, meditation is a very powerful way to deal with stress. Apart from these, listening to music, vacation, reading books, and cognitively stimulating activities can help brain development after Covid-19. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19?  Bottom Line As the Covid-19 is a comparatively new disease, adequate research initiatives have not been done yet. Covid-19 infection might affect the brain, memory, and cognitive abilities in diverse ways. The type and level of damage caused by post-covid brain fog might be different for different patients. However, following a proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle the Covid survivors are expected to retain their memory and cognitive abilities. However, the recovery period may vary from person to person.