The Essential Guide to Avoiding Dementia

Supplied by The Dementia Book Club
www.hammersmithbooks.co.uk

Foreword written by Prof Graham stokes



A very interesting book


The book discusses the many forms of dementia, and the risks involved with the illness.

It also goes on to discuss 


Education,
Expanding the mind,
Nutrition,
Trauma,
along with
Physical and Mental illness.
If you are worried of developing dementia


The brain, a simple description with references to dementia



Quote


There is evidence that the brain is affected  by the clinical beginnings of dementia, up to 25 years before dementia manifests itself in an obvious way. The brain appears to have a vast 'spare' capacity, and it may be that, as evidence seems to indicate, a higher a  neutral reserve, delays the onset of clinical signs. What this might mean is that, the changes in attitude, activity, and what we all call 'personality', may begin many years before overt evidence of dementia, so that we are once again brought up against the 'which' came first question.

This is a very interesting book if you are worried about the illness, or are worried about



Trauma


This covers possible links between trauma and dementia. This can be a physical blow to the head or damage to the body from, for example, a traffic accident. Alternatively it may be of a psychological nature, caused by repeated distress in the past, the stress and horror of being involved in something like a bomb incident, or what used to be known as 'battle fatigue' and is now classed as post traumatic stress.



As a person who had a head injury in the past, this made a lot of sense to me.



I have read this  book, but confess, that the title left me wondering why anyone would wish to read this, because no one wants dementia, and as far as I have been told, no one really knows or understands what causes the illness. So here we are getting another persons prospective of the illness.



But looking at the possible causes etc, for me starts to make me wonder whether my own dementia was caused be industrial head injuries in the past.  When I was asked about these I confess that my memory is a bit vague, simply because, on one occasion, I remember falling from around 10 feet and hitting my head on the ground.  I vaguely remember what seemed to be an explosion in my head, but that's all.


I was on my own when it happened, so could not really remember if, I was out cold or not, and if so for how long.


I vaguely remember feeling very fuzzy inside my head, as I got up and walked away but that's all.

This has always puzzled me, all I remember was, getting up off the ground, and staggering back to our flat.


At that time I felt as if my head had caved in, and the next day I had an enormous bruise on one side of the head.




If anyone wishes to read about dementia, this is a good place to start, because Prof Graham Stokes, the person writing the foreword page of this book is very well known and respected.



So I do wonder after reading this many other people start to tie up loose ends, as far as their dementia is concerned



I have read many books about this illness, but this is the first one which has explained many of the problems we hear of, but never get answers.



I know that we are well away from getting all of the answers to dementia, but at least I do feel that this helps.



I can only say a thank you to Mary Jordan for writing the book and the Dementia Book Club for allowing me to read it, and comment on my blog.



An interesting and well written book