Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's on the Rise

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s used to be associated with old age because they were not seen affecting young people. However, with medical complications on the rise, more and more young people – below the age of 40, are getting diagnosed with these diseases. There is no known cause explaining the early onset of these diseases.

The symptoms don’t differ in young people and they affect them much as they affect older people. The only difference is that, if they are diagnosed and treated early, then the development of these diseases is slower in young people as compared to older people.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

It is a serious neurological disorder that progresses gradually and has no known cure. It causes dysfunction of the brain as it kills brain cells and causes the brain to eventually shrink. It results in memory loss, behavioral problems, thinking problems in the patients. It is most commonly found in people 65 years of age or above. The earliest symptoms could be seen in the early 60s or if it is an early-onset case, then it could be seen in the early 40s. There are 3 categories of symptoms

• Memory loss: The initial small forgetful events can become as serious as forgetting the names of family members, not recognizing anyone, or any place, sometimes even forgetting one’s own identity.
• Mood changes: Depression, anxiety, or irritability which can escalate to social withdrawal. This can get as serious as growing deep distrust of everyone around.
• Finding difficulty in thinking, performing basic tasks, or organizing thoughts.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

It is a serious condition that affects the nervous system of the body and results in disrupted body movements. Similar to Alzheimer’s, this disease also used to be associated with old age but now even young people are getting diagnosed with it. Following are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:

• The earliest symptom is seen in the form of body tremors. The body parts can experience involuntary shaking now and then.
• Basic body movements such as walking can be slowed down to a great level. The body can start to lose balance.
• It may get difficult to write, or do activities by
• Speech may also be affected and the patient might find it difficult to say even the smallest of things.
• The body can lose the ability to blink, or perform other reflex actions.

How does having health insurance help?

Both – Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s, are extremely expensive & complex to treat. The medications, nursing, surgeries, cost a lot of money that can be affordable for many families. Therefore, having comprehensive insurance that covers critical illnesses can be a relief.

As it mainly affects elderly people, many senior citizen policies provide coverage for both these diseases. However, when looking for health insurance and Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s coverage, it is important to watch out for restrictions in those policies. These may include:

• Exclusions: The policy might cover only some variants of the illnesses, others might have exclusions for certain medicines, etc.
• Waiting periods: Senior citizen policies have higher waiting periods. One would of course prefer those which have relatively lower waiting periods
• Co-pay clauses: Co-pay means that if a medical urgency occurs, the insured would have to pay a part of the medical bill while the insurer pays the rest. These clauses should be read carefully. Health insurance would have less utility if the policyholder has to bear a large part of the expenses.

Given all this, buying the right plan can get difficult. The insurance experts at SANA.Insure are there to understand the situation of the customers and provide unbiased help in selecting the right plan.

To get in touch with them connect over WhatsApp chat on 8278271818 or call on 1800 202 8118.

Wish you a healthy and happy life!