For more information on the author, Arden Courts  CLICK HERE!World Health Day is on April 7 and this year the theme is Focus on Diabetes. Worldwide, diabetes affects an estimated 347 million people according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and was the cause of 1.5 million deaths in 2012, mostly in middle and lower income nations. WHO wants to not only build awareness of this chronic disease, but remind everyone that it can be treated effectively, and in some instances, can actually be prevented.In Type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not produce insulin, and in Type 2, the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body is unable to use it. Insulin is a hormone that allows the red blood cells to absorb sugar in the blood stream (glucose). Glucose provides energy to cells in our muscles and other tissues, especially the brain. When there is too much sugar in the blood stream, it can cause serious and permanent damage to the circulatory system and other organs in the body, like the heart, kidneys and eyes. This circulatory damage also puts individuals with diabetes at high risk for heart attack and stroke.But with proper care and control, diabetes can be managed and the likelihood of serious complications is reduced. According to the Defeat Diabetes Foundation, April is the perfect time to learn about the risk factors and warning signs of diabetes and the positive lifestyle changes you can make to defeat the disease. Risk factors include a family history, increased body weight, a sedentary lifestyle, age, and race, with African Americans, Hispanics, native Americans and Asian Americans seeing an increased risk of developing diabetes.Signs of diabetes are increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and irritability, blurred vision, extreme hunger and unexplained weight loss. Blood tests are available to show current blood sugar levels and your average blood sugar over a three-month period (A1C). You may also have an oral glucose tolerance test where your blood is tested when fasting and during a span of two hours following a sugary drink. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, treatment options include insulin, medication to control blood sugar, special diet and exercise to help maintain a healthy weight and heart. If you are concerned that you or a family member may have diabetes, check with your doctor. Careful control of your blood sugar can reduce your risk of side effects and in some cases, may even eliminate your need for medication. With lifestyle modifications, like a healthy weight, diet, and regular exercise program, you can defeat diabetes.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric disorder or Alzheimers disease. Signs and symptoms vary depending on what section of the brain is being affected.FTD is a disease which causes progressive damage to the temporal and/or frontal lobes of the brain. The disorder also may be referred to as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) or Picks disease. Most people living with this disease will endure dramatic changes in their personality, becoming impulsive or emotionally indifferent. Sometimes, they eventually lose the ability to use and understand language.The lack of language skills is a highly devastating symptom, often coinciding with social withdrawal. Naturally, this leaves the person hiding in a shell of solitude. Many may develop what is known as Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). This symptom usually starts developing around the second year of the disease. With this type of dementia, you may not see the characteristic of memory loss as you would with Alzheimers disease. Instead, you may first notice a persons inability to concentrate and extreme changes in such a persons behavior. This often misleads many physicians into believing their patients are experiencing psychiatric problems.Here are a few signs of FTD to be aware of:Loss of empathyLack of judgmentApathyObsessive-compulsive behaviorDecline in personal hygieneChange in eating habitsSpeech and language problemsThis disease onset typically strikes people between the ages of 50s and 60s. But according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), it has been seen as early as 21 years old and as late as 80 years. Roughly 60% of the cases are between 45-64 years of age.Problems may also occur with motor skills, similar to those of Parkinsons disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. This disease attacks the frontal or temporal lobes (possibly both) of the brain, creating those sections to wither or shrink.Recently, I had a phone conversation with a woman whose husband, at the age of 62, has been diagnosed with FTD. She said that his doctor initially diagnosed him with depression. Soon after, he was dismissed from his job for many years due to a lack of concentration. The doctors have told her that disease has now progressed into the latter stages.As he is now experiencing hallucinations, I genuinely feel for her. One thing which amazed me is her husband tells her that he thinks something is wrong behind his forehead. Because of his loss of language skills, he now only speaks to her or to close family members. This behavior appears on the surface as being unsociable, but it is a symptom of the disease.There are so many different types of dementia in existence. However, the thing they all have in common is they are all extremely difficult to diagnose. The earlier the patient does get appropriately diagnosed, the better they can genuinely be cared for.For more information on FTD, please visit the Association for Frontotemporal Degenerations website which is www.theaftd.org.Gary Joseph LeBlancEducation DirectorDementia Spotlight Foundation

It was hard not to notice while caring for my parents who had dementia, my father with Alzheimer's and my mother with vascular dementia, that throughout their progression they both insisted on having a bedroom light left on during the night.In my fathers case, I am not talking about a simple nightlight, but one bright enough to read a pocket-size dictionary. By having the lights on in his room glaring, it was easier for him to calculate his surroundings. After all, when one who is living with dementia first opens their eyes, there is always a chance they may not recognize whose house they are in.Keep their paths well luminated and non-cluttered, especially the trail to the bathroom. I personally used the wall socket lights all over the house, including in the hallway. Accidents happen quickly and more often at night.I also hung family photos along their bedrooms walls. This was to familiarize and comfort them when they would first awake. Photo albums became a great redirection tool for us. My father would spend hours flipping through the pages; not always remembering the faces from the past, but somehow attaining his solace in times of confusions.Redecorating their home or simply changing a piece of art hanging on the wall can disorient loved ones severely. I remember one night my father asked me why someone had removed his bed from his room. The only change I had made was placing clean sheets and a different colored heavy blanket on the bed because it was going to get cold that night.Minor changes we normally may not even consider may disrupt the vital routine a person living with dementia truly needs. So, keep things simple and well lit. They need their surroundings to remain unchanged.