All too few of us are aware of the risks we face on a daily basis and how our lifestyles can only exacerbate that risk. While we’re taught to be vigilant and protect our bodies from risks of heart disease, diabetes and all sorts of cancers, we tend not to think about dementia until we get much older. Yet, Young Onset Dementia can occur in younger adults, too. There are many causes of dementia in younger people. Some are lifestyle related and some are hereditary. In any event, those of us who’ve cared for an elderly relative with dementia will know just how heartbreaking it can be to look into the eyes of a parent or grandparent and see a complete stranger looking back of them without a trace of love or recognition.
None of us wants to subject our kids to this and since a dementia diagnosis can occur in middle age and even in your late twenties it makes sense to start putting the infrastructure in place to prevent it. With just a few well-advised lifestyle choices you can greatly reduce your risk of being affected by this terrible affliction.
But isn’t dementia hereditary?
Some forms are. Dementia is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of different conditions with different underlying causes. Things like Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobe dementia are closely linked with genetics while other forms of vascular dementia are much more closely linked to our overall health and lifestyle. The truth, however, is that even hereditary forms of dementia are far from inevitable. Here are some ways in which you can reduce your risk of young-onset dementia to ensure that you get the best out of your quality of life long into middle and old age…
Don’t stress
If you juggle your duties with a parent alongside a full-time job and the myriad responsibilities involved in keeping a household clean and tidy, there’s a good chance that you have excessive stress in your life. However many demands there are on your time, it’s important to take a little time for yourself to switch off. Even the busiest of people can find ways to reduce the stress in their lives. Getting plenty of exercises and sleeping for at least 7 hours a night are great ways of reducing your stress levels even if your lifestyle is insanely busy. Reducing stress has been proven to reduce your risk of dementia according to a 2016 study.
Keep it green
It can be a nightmare keeping on top of the latest trends in the diet industry. One minute carbs are the devil, the next minute they’re essential. One minute we should all be avoiding fats, the next we should be eating all the fat we want while purging our stomachs if we come into contact with sugar. One thing for sure is that cutting down on processed sugary, salty or fatty foods and increasing your intake of green leafy veg, dark berries and walnuts have been proven to reduce your risk of dementia at any age.
Great article . It’s a terrible disease that I’ve seen first hand . Stress is a killer .
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