George Fernandes Dies Of Alzheimer's & Swine Flu - All About The Diseases!

Former Union Defence Minister and an epitome in Indian politics, George Fernandes, passed away on Tuesday morning owing to a prolonged illness, confirmed his family members.

He was 88 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, a neurological, irreversible, progressive brain disorder, since long. Recently, he contracted swine flu, which is quite prevalent across the country these days. Fernandes, an anti-Emergency crusader and an arch-enemy of Indira Gandhi, had been bedridden for the past few years.

Here we will be discussing about Alzheimer's and Swine flu to help you stay away from the complications of these diseases.

Alzheimer's Disease:

It is a chronic neurodegenerative dementia that leads to death of brain cells, triggering memory loss and cognitive decline. It affects the patient's thinking and behaviour. The symptoms develop slowly & worsen with time.

Causes of Alzheimer's Disease:

Being a kind of dementia, brain cells die progressively and eventually, the tissue is left with fewer nerve cells and connections.

As a result, the brain size starts shrinking. Tiny inclusions known as plaques and tangles cannot be seen in a living Alzheimer's affected brain but they are visible in the postmortem.

These plaques are known as 'amyloid plaques' as they are found among the dying cells of the brain when a protein called beta-amyloid builds. The tangles stay in the neurons and are formed from a protein called tau.

There are many reasons behind this problem. Some of those are mentioned below:

• Anti-anxiety medications
• Hitting on the head too many times
• Regularly sleep-deprived
• Loneliness
• Diabetes
• Old age
• Genetics
• Down's syndrome
• Cardiovascular diseases

Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease:

As Alzheimer's damages the brain, hence, the clinical signs start showing up very early. The symptoms include:

• Memory loss
• Agitation and mood swings
• Poor judgment
• The trouble with money calculations
• Difficulty doing familiar tasks
• Trouble in planning or solving a problem
• Confusion with time and place
• Difficulty in communicating
• Loss of motivation
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Aggressive personality
• Childlike behaviour

Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease:

The medical science has evolved a lot over the years but still, there is no permanent cure for Alzheimer’s disease. It ultimately results in death. Hence, it is better to try and prevent it before developing. Discussed below are the preventive measures for Alzheimer’s disease:

• Eating more fruits and vegetables
• Eating berries every day
• Increasing Omega-3 fatty acids
• Taking folic acid supplements
• Having grape juice or red wine with evening food
• Doing the Mediterranean style diet
• Controlling the blood pressure
• Having strong social support

In most of the cases, the treatment only keeps the condition of the patient under control as there is no treatment which can completely reverse Alzheimer's Disease. Hence, prevention is the best way possible to keep this deadly ailment at bay.
 
George Fernandes had recently contracted Swine Flu and the disease only worsened his condition. Here is everything you should know to stay safe:
 
Swine Flu:

Swine flu, or H1N1 infection, is a respiratory disease which is caused by influenza viruses that infect the respiratory tract of pigs and eventually result in a barking cough, nasal secretions, decreased appetite and listless behaviour. It gets transmitted to humans swiftly and takes shape of a pandemic.

How does it prevail?

It spreads in a very similar manner as seasonal flu. People release tiny drops of virus into the air while sneezing or coughing. Whenever any person comes in contact with these viruses, he/she also gets infected by it. It can also spread by using or touching the things used by the infected person.

H1N1 Symptoms:

The symptoms of this disease are also very similar to the seasonal flu. They include:

• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Body aches
• Headache
• Running nose
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Breath shortness
• Frequent vomiting
• Dizziness
• Pain in the belly region

Swine flu can potentially lead to more serious complications such as pneumonia, lung infection and other breathing problems. In diabetes and asthma patients, it can make the situation even worst.

Can vaccination keep swine flu at bay?

The flu vaccine which keeps away seasonal flu also protects against N1H1 infection.

How to prevent H1N1 infection?

Apart from vaccinations, there are some other ways also to keep yourself healthy:

• Wash your hands with soap and water
• Use alcohol-based hand-sanitizer
• Do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose
• Try to maintain a safe distance from infected people

Prevention is always better than cure! At the time when the pandemic is quickly spreading across the country, people should be more cautious about their health. If you also have the symptoms of the disease, you should immediately visit a doctor to diagnose it and start with the treatment.