This means that it’s not just older people taking 5, 15, or 20 drugs a day who are at risk. Anyone doing that is at a higher risk for many other diseases, and yes, for dementia too. Medicines for heartburn, stomach issues, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and many others—we take them regularly, and then we get dementia. It’s a simple fact: we’re mixing too many chemicals at once, and they’re really affecting our brains.
Bad drug reactions are a serious problem. In 90% of cases, drug side effects don’t even get reported. These reactions cause about 10% of all hospital stays and are the fourth leading cause of death in the world! When different drugs interact, they can make negative effects worse, leading to unexpected memory loss, confusion, and a higher chance of falling.
Many patients, especially those with long-term illnesses, see several different doctors. These doctors don’t always consider how all the different medicines might interact, which can raise the risk of dementia. So, you go to five doctors, and all five prescribe new medicines. Often, doctors don’t even ask what other medicines you’re taking or if taking more drugs at the same time could make your health worse.
Here’s an interesting bit of info: more than 90% of drug side effects are never reported to doctors. You stay quiet, you get worse and worse, and you never even think to ask if the medicines your doctor prescribed are causing a lot of the problems you’re having. That’s why talking to your doctors is super important.
