Author: SSIVIX Lab

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Signs and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

Many people believe that forgetfulness or chatter in everyday life is a natural sign of aging, yet it may be an early sign of dementia. Not everyone will develop the disease at a certain age, but there are several groups of people who are susceptible to Alzheimer’s and need to pay special attention to it.

After middle age, age and prevalence are positively correlated, with approximately 7 out of every 100 people over 65 years of age having the disease, and the prevalence increasing by a factor of 1 for every 5 years of age. In people with a family history of the disease, Alzheimer’s disease is hereditary, especially the younger the age of onset, the more likely it is to be inherited. A patient’s siblings and children are at greater risk of developing the disease or other neurological conditions than those without a family history of the disease. Finally, there are underlying diseases that predispose to Alzheimer’s disease, such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease and depression. Mild Alzheimer’s disease is not easily detected by the elderly, but when a series of symptoms appear that cause the patient and family members to notice, the disease has generally progressed to moderate to severe, and if treatment is started only then, it is not effective. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease when members of the family are within the range of susceptible to the disease.

Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

• Mental decline.

The main manifestation is inattention and sloppy work. The patient soon develops malignant amnesia, which progresses from occasional to frequent amnesia, from near to distant amnesia, from forgetting details of the event to involving the event itself. Immediate recall is also severely impaired, with no recollection of events that occurred hours or even minutes before. Eventually, it can progress to forgetting names, birthdays, and family members as if they were living in childhood.

• Decreased calculation power.

The patient’s calculation power becomes slower in the early stage, and gradually makes calculation errors, can’t even do simple calculations, and can’t count the money for buying things.

• Language disorder.

Some patients have difficulty using words in conversation and suddenly break off, gradually developing into words that others cannot understand. Eventually, the patient can only make unintelligible sounds and eventually becomes silent.

• Orientation disorder.

Patients often reach for objects and miss them, or reach too far and knock them over, or fail to place a pot or kettle accurately on the fire of the stove. They often get lost in the street when they go home, or even do not know which bed is theirs in their own home.

• Behavioral disorders.

Often manifested as performing purposeless tasks. Such as rummaging through boxes, putting things in a mess, hustling or collecting waste, picking up garbage from the street and taking it home and treating it as a treasure for fear of theft. They do not rinse their mouths and brush their teeth in the morning and do not wash their dirty clothes. Some of them have less movement and sit all day. In severe cases, they are bedridden, incontinent and unable to take care of themselves.

• Emotional disorders.

Patients are fidgety, suspicious, childish or cheerful, easily agitated or with dull expressions, slow reactions or hallucinations and delusions.

Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

• Prevents atherosclerosis.

Cerebral atherosclerosis is the main enemy of dementia. People should adjust their diet to “three fixed, three high, three low, two quit”, that is, fixed time, fixed quantity, fixed quality; high protein, high unsaturated fatty acid, high vitamin; low fat, low calorie, low salt; quit smoking, quit alcohol.

• Reduce aluminum intake.

People in daily life as far as possible without aluminum frying pan, cooking, and not to use aluminum utensils to hold acidic food (lime juice, yogurt) to avoid chemical reactions to dissolve aluminum. In addition, some foods or drinks containing aluminum should be used sparingly, such as doughnuts, vermicelli, poor quality tea, fluffy cakes made by baking powder treatment.

• Internal and external cultivation, focusing on spiritual conditioning.

A study once published in the United States showed that depression in early life may be the cause of dementia in some people’s old age. Older people should enhance their personal qualities and develop a wide range of interests. People should enrich their daily life, insist on learning new knowledge and keep extensive contact with society. We should pay attention to intellectual training, such as playing with toys, listening to their favorite music, playing cards moderately, etc.

• Caring for the elderly.

Family harmony can keep the elderly in a happy mood and enhance their resistance to disease. Children should live with the elderly or visit them often, give them patient and careful care in life and spirit, and try their best to understand them.

Conclusion

Some people describe Alzheimer’s as an eraser in the mind, gradually erasing all kinds of content stored in the brain, including memory, various behavioral abilities and feelings. As the disease progresses, Alzheimer’s patients become unable to care for themselves and become bedridden, requiring long-term care. Alzheimer’s disease is not only a serious threat to the health of human beings in their old age, but also a heavy burden to the society and families. Therefore, the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease is a long-term and difficult task that requires the joint efforts of the whole society.

If you are looking for medical aid or for a private ambulance service in Singapore to take patients where they need to go, download the MYCLNQ app today. Or you can get in touch with us and we’ll answer any queries you may have.

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Why do we procrastinate, and how can we overcome it?

Knowing that there are still a bunch of things that should be done: spread out papers, scattered closet, or an email that should be sent, a book that should be read …… and our anxious and disturbed little heart, but we still inwardly imply to ourselves that: do it later, do it tomorrow……

As long as there is no deadline, we can drag it out until the earth explodes.

Procrastination, there is really no way to overcome it?

So how do we break the “spell of procrastination”? In fact, it can be done in five minutes.

1. How does procrastination happen in the brain?

Normal human brain looks like this:

But whenever you want to be quiet and do something meaningful, a “monkey” comes out and takes the wheel and messes with your plans, so you start to let yourself go endlessly.

Ever notice anything different? It seems to be that inside the procrastinator’s head, in addition to Mr. Rational Decision-Maker, there is a pet – the “Instant Gratification Monkey”.

In fact, it would be a cute pet if Mr. Rational Decision-Maker knew how to raise a monkey . Unfortunately, Mr. Rational Decision-Maker is not trained to raise monkeys, so sometimes they start to interfere with him doing what he is supposed to be doing.

Apparently the “Instant Gratification Monkey” only cares about what can bring it satisfaction in the present, completely ignoring future plans. And what about Mr. Rational Decision-Maker? He only knows how to make rational decisions, not how to control the monkey. The result of the struggle with the monkey is that Mr. Rational Decision-Maker becomes increasingly frustrated, and the more he fails, the more we procrastinate. And the more we procrastinate, the more we rebuke our Rational Decision-Maker for not doing his job well.

Inside your brain lives a patron saint who helps you get rid of the monkey, called the “panic monster”, who sleeps most of the time and only appears when you encounter deadline, workplace crisis or some other dilemmas. Also, it is the only thing that monkey is afraid of.

But the “panic monster” tends to appear only when we are in a great crisis, and we cannot hope that it will help us get rid of the “Instant Gratification Monkey”. In this case, we need to take the initiative to find ways to solve the problem of procrastination.

Although common, procrastination should not be underestimated. Severe procrastination can have negative effects on an individual’s physical and mental health, such as strong feelings of self-blame, guilt, constant self-denial and depreciation, and even bring about anxiety and depression. Learning is not good when learning, and playing is not at ease when having fun.

So, how do we change our procrastination? It’s simple: the Five-Minute Rule.

2. Five minutes to overcome procrastination

This method is also called the “5 minute countdown to change” method. This method is simple: you just need to prepare a cell phone or a timer, set a 5-minute countdown, and then tell yourself: from now on, seriously contribute 5 minutes to one thing that you need to complete.

The principle of this method is to lower your own expectations, so that we do not come up to face a huge goal, and the fear of retreat. Five minutes is short enough, you can easily reach the goal, so your motivation will come up.

Let’s take the example of cleaning up a messy room and see how the brain works under the “Five-Minute to save the room” method.

Original inner thoughts: you want to clean up your room? Oh my God, it’s so messy, the bed, the table, the closet all need to be tidied up, too much! This will take at least half a day, forget it, I’ll do it next time when I’m free.

However, inner thoughts under the five-minute rule are like: I only need to finish 5 minutes anyway, it’s too easy, I can’t finish organizing though, it’s okay, I’ve organized anyway, I’ve finished today’s goal, now let’s start!

Then let’s see what happens after 5 minutes, after 5 minutes the room is not completely clean, but it becomes much better than before. And this change stimulates your emotions and your brain immediately thinks: Wow, only 5 minutes to clean a lot, look more comfortable, it does not seem to take a long time to finish tidying up, so why not continue to work hard and tidy up a good deal.

Usually, such a short time of giving will motivate you to keep doing it and get you into that state quickly to get that task done, and the results will often surprise you.

In fact, anything that seems hard, once you get started, the hardest part is already behind you. It’s like my yoga teacher once said: the hardest part of practicing yoga is not the asana, but that moment when you keep standing on the mat daily.

3. Three things need to keep in mind when implementing “Five-Minute Rule”

We have learned this method, so what else needs to be noted? In order to revitalize your brain for immediate action and change, here are 3 things to keep in mind when implementing the “Five-Minute Rule to Change” method.

① Acting now without thinking

To think is to procrastinate, and the more you think, the more your brain imagines the difficulty. Therefore, when you think of something to do, immediately set a countdown and start the task at hand immediately.

② Selecting the most fulfilling part to complete

The secret to the “Five-Minute Rule” is to set goals that are the easiest to accomplish or the most fulfilling part of your overall goal. That is, a high rate of return for a short time of effort. The greater the sense of accomplishment, the more motivated you will be.

③ Five minutes is just a beginning, more efforts are needed

It will take more effort and persistence on your part to complete the entire task in its entirety.

When you use the MYCLNQ app, a professional is just a few clicks away. For online medical consultation, just download our app, speak to a qualified doctor about your problems, and receive the help you need. Contact us today for more information.

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Shortness of Breath: 3 Signs You Need to See a Doctor

Oftentimes, experiencing shortness of breath from time to time is not something that you should be worried about. If you’ve been exercising or maintaining an active lifestyle, it’s common to experience some changes in your breathing. Shortness of breath can be a normal result of being physically active or a sign of needing more exercise.

However, when you develop shortness of breath all of a sudden without reason, it’s always a good idea to arrange an online medical consultation with a professional doctor.

Shortness of breath can be a symptom or warning sign of a more serious underlying health condition. To help you determine whether or not it’s time to see a doctor, below are some indications that your difficulty in breathing requires medical attention.

1. When you are hyperventilating

As mentioned earlier, experiencing temporary difficulty in breathing isn’t usually serious. It can be caused by a change in the weather, the use of certain household cleaning products or common cold that typically goes away in a few days. However, if your breathing problem makes you hyperventilate, consulting a doctor is strongly advised.

Commonly, acute shortness of breath can be caused by respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These infections can be dangerous and fatal if left untreated.

When you’re always finding it hard to breathe, especially while lying down, it’s an indication that your breathing problem is severe enough to require medical attention.

2. When it is starting to interfere with your life or work 

Excessive exercising or engaging in physical activities can cause you to have difficulty in breathing, albeit only for a short while. This is usually temporary and should not affect your daily activities.

However, if your breathing problem is a result of something more serious, there’s a possibility that it can interfere with your life and work, especially if left neglected.

If you’ve been diagnosed with conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may experience severe shortness of breath that can hinder you from going about your everyday routine. In this case, it’s a good idea to seek professional help right away, so your condition can be accessed and treated as soon as possible.

3. When it is accompanied by other serious symptoms

Your breathing problem can just be one of the several symptoms you are experiencing due to a serious health condition. There are various conditions you may have if your shortness of breath is accompanied by other significant symptoms.

For example, if your difficulty in breathing is accompanied by a tightening pain in your chest (angina), this could be a sign of coronary artery disease.

On the other hand, if you are experiencing difficulty breathing with a persistent cough, chest discomfort or pain, and other heavy sensations around the upper body, you may be at risk of having lung cancer.

Shortness of breath is a common symptom in lung cancer patients who are in the advanced stages of the disease. To be sure, be aware of changes in your body and other accompanying symptoms you are experiencing aside from breathing difficulty. 

Conclusion

For most people, shortness of breath isn’t usually a cause for alarm. Breathing problems may just be temporary and a normal effect of lifestyle changes. However, if it has already become severe to the point of keeping you from performing your daily activities, or if it comes with other symptoms, it’s highly recommended that you consult a doctor online in Singapore.

MyCLNQ is a telehealth app in Singapore that addresses all your telehealth needs in one place – from booking a private ambulance to seeing a doctor and purchasing your medications online, MyCLNQ provides you with the medical assistance you need in an instant!

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Asia Healthcare Week – MyCLNQ will be there!

MyCLNQ will be participating alongside with other Distinguished Healthcare Leaders