“2 million people in the United States have aphasia, but 84.5% of Americans state that they’ve never heard the term aphasia. This fact needs to change immediately to pave the way for better communication experiences for people living with aphasia. Get ready because it’s time for Aphasia Awareness Month.
National Aphasia Association – 35 years of Support (https://www.aphasia.org/stories/june-aphasia-awareness-month/)
“Results from national-level surveys and data systems are used to identify male/female differences in mortality rates, prevalence of diseases, physical functioning, and indicators of physiological status. Male/female differences in health outcomes depend on epidemiological and social circumstances and behaviors, and many are not consistent across historical time and between countries. In all countries, male life expectancy is now lower than female life expectancy, but this was not true in the past. In most countries, women have more problems performing instrumental activities of daily living, and men do better in measured performance of functioning. Men tend to have more cardiovascular diseases; women, more inflammatory-related diseases. Sex differences in major cardiovascular risk factors vary between countries—men tend to have more hypertension; women, more raised lipids. Indicators of physiological dysregulation indicate greater inflammatory activity for women and generally higher cardiovascular risk for men, although women have higher or similar cardiovascular risk in some markers depending on the historical time and country.”
NIH National Library of Medicine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6345642/)
“Most cataracts develop slowly and don’t disturb your eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually interfere with your vision.
At first, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help you deal with cataracts. But if impaired vision interferes with your usual activities, you might need cataract surgery. Fortunately, cataract surgery is generally a safe, effective procedure.”
MAYO CLINIC (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353790)
National Hernia Awareness Month is observed each June. Hernias can be described as abnormal bulges created by a weakness or a hole, usually in the abdominal wall or groin. It occurs when an internal organ, such as the bowel or bladder, extends through the wall of the muscle or tissue where it normally resides.
A bulge in the abdomen or groin caused by a hernia is a common condition in both men and women and can range from pain-free to painful. Nearly 1 million hernia operations are performed each year in the United States.
There are a number of places and types of hernias that can occur within the body.
Hernias can be congenital, which means they were present at the time of birth. They can also develop due to tissue weakness in the abdominal wall or groin, usually from overexertion and straining. Long-term constipation issues or urinating, persistent cough, heavy lifting and physical exertion can all contribute to the development of hernias. Other factors that can increase your risk for hernias include poor nutrition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, pregnancy, previous surgeries (specifically open surgeries) and smoking.
When hernias become painful or symptomatic it may prevent patients from participating in work, exercise or other activities that they love to do. When a hernia becomes symptomatic it is important to see your primary care physician to discuss repair before the hernia becomes very large or turns into a very serious complication. When organs are stuck in a hernia, they can lose their blood supply, which may result in an emergency that requires immediate attention.
Many times, your physician will be able to diagnosis a hernia by physical exam. However, sometimes a hernia may be difficult to see or feel due to its location or a person’s body size and shape. In those instances, radiologic tests like a CT (computerized tomography) scan or ultrasound may be ordered to help with the diagnosis.
There are different options for surgical repair, including both open surgery and minimally invasive laparoscopic (using small incisions with a laparoscope) approaches. Many times, we utilize mesh to help repair the hernia to lower the recurrence risk. Hernia repair is usually performed under general anesthesia or on an outpatient basis, so patients may be able to go home on the same day of surgery.
“Regarding risk factors, anyone can get cataracts. While most people don’t typically show symptoms until at least the age of 40, cataracts can also affect young adults or even children. Heredity, disease, eye injury and smoking could cause cataracts to develop at an earlier age.”
Specialty Eye Institute by midwest vision partners (https://www.specialtyeyeinstitute.com/june-is-cataract-awareness-month/)
“More than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to remove cataracts, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that cataract is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, and the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Prevent Blindness has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to educate the public on risk factors, symptoms, types of cataract, and cataract surgery.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and is normally transparent. The lens helps to focus images onto the retina – which transmits the images to the brain.”
Prevent Blindness (https://preventblindness.org/cataract-awareness-june-2022/)
“Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s worsens over time. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. Alzheimer’s has no cure, but two treatments — aducanumab (Aduhelm™) and lecanemab (Leqembi™) — demonstrate that removing beta-amyloid, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, from the brain reduces cognitive and functional decline in people living with early Alzheimer’s. Other treatments can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort underway to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset and prevent it from developing. Just like the rest of our bodies, our brains change as we age. Most of us eventually notice some slowed thinking and occasional problems with remembering certain things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the way our minds work may be a sign that brain cells are failing.”
Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers)
People with this disease:
Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease. There probably is not one single cause, but several factors that affect each person differently.
Alzheimer’s disease is
In 2014, an estimated 5 million Americans aged 65 years or older had Alzheimer’s disease. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060.
In 2010, the costs of treating Alzheimer’s disease were projected to fall between $159 and $215 billion.4 By 2040, these costs are projected to jump to between $379 and more than $500 billion annually.4
Death rates for Alzheimer’s disease are increasing, unlike heart disease and cancer death rates that are on the decline.5 Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, has been shown to be under-reported in death certificates and therefore the proportion of older people who die from Alzheimer’s may be considerably higher.
Various disorders and factors contribute to the development of dementia. Neuro-degenerative disorders result in a progressive and irreversible loss of neurons and brain functioning. Currently, there are no cures for these types of disorders. They include:
Other types of progressive brain disease include:
In addition, certain medical conditions can cause serious memory problems that resemble dementia. These problems should go away once the conditions are treated. These conditions include:
Doctors have identified many other conditions that can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms. These conditions include:
The overlap in symptoms of various dementias can make it hard to get an accurate diagnosis. But a proper diagnosis is important to get the right treatment. Seek help from a neurologist—a doctor who specializes in disorders of the brain and nervous system—or other medical specialist who knows about dementia.
“Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most generic form of dementia, is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that destroys neuronal cells. AD is the fifth leading cause of death for people aged sixty-five and older [1]. Scientists do not yet fully understand the cause of this disease, which is likely to involve several factors and can affect each person differently. Health care providers often fail to diagnose AD at an early stage; thus, researchers are currently working on a diagnostic framework in which AD onset can be detected based on biological changes in the brain and body even before any symptoms appear [2]. Early AD identification remains challenging as the conventional biomarkers for AD can overlap with the classical aging process.
Recent studies suggest that dysfunctional glucose metabolism is often found in AD brains. An aged-matched comparison between regular and AD brains showed reduced glucose utilization, evidenced in APP (AD model) mice [7]. Thus, glucose utilization could be an early important imaging marker for AD detection. Under normal physiological conditions, brain cells use a relatively higher percentage of glucose for their function and energy source [8]. Alteration in cerebral glucose metabolic rate and glucose consumption are reflected in the synaptic excitability and neuronal activity [9]. In the AD brain, a lesser extent of glucose utilization was detected by positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) as a tracer [10]. Specifically, a reduction in glucose consumption at the hippocampal and posterior cingulate of the brain was observed in the early AD stages [11,12,13].
NIH National Library of Medicine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9455726/)
“To diagnose Alzheimer’s dementia, doctors conduct tests to assess memory impairment and other thinking skills, judge functional abilities, and identify behavior changes. They also perform a series of tests to rule out other possible causes of impairment. Alzheimer’s dementia can be diagnosed in several different ways. Often, Alzheimer’s is diagnosed through a doctor’s exam. They will evaluate your signs and symptoms and do several tests. They may talk to friends and family members to find out more about symptoms and behavior.
It’s important to get an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia. The correct diagnosis is an important first step toward getting the appropriate treatment, care, family education and plans for the future.”.
MAYO CLINIC (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers/art-20048075)