Aging, substance abuse, chronic diseases, and even genetics are some of the most common risk factors for dementia. However, recent studies revealed that home environment could also affect an individual's increase chance of developing the mental disorder.
A recent Canadian study revealed that living within a city block radius of a major road could lead to an increase risk of dementia. Researchers in Public Health Ontario and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences shared that living close to a heavy traffic was associated with a higher risk of dementia.
"Our study suggests that there is a link between exposure to traffic pollution and risk of dementia. Obviously other factors are important as well, but there's likely a role for traffic pollution as one of the factors in developing dementia," CBC News quoted lead researcher Dr. Ray Copes as saying.
This latest finding regarding dementia is highly valuable, for it deepens the society's understanding of the disorder. Dementia, which is a form of mental disorder, is not a specific disease in itself. It is considered as an overall term that described symptoms concerning mainly of memory decline, which leads an individual to severely reduce its ability to perform daily activities.
That being said, knowing that living close to high-traffic roads could lead to the development of dementia is essential in mitigating or preventing development and manifestation of the disease. However, apart from having a knowledge of risk factors, it is highly advisable to undergo diagnostic tesingt, especially when certain memory difficulties are being experienced.
Moreover, standard questions and task, followed by simple word knowledge tests and memory questions are some of the expected methods of diagnosing dementia, according to Medical News Today. Individuals noticing some changes in their mental acuity should submit themselves to the said test, for early detection and prevention.
Watch here below ways to prevent dementia: