Kutsungirira Hosha yeAlzheimer
“MURUME WANGU, Alfie, aiva foromani wemumwe mugodhi wendarama muSouth Africa,” anotsanangura kudaro Sally. “Ndakashamiswa pandakanzwa achindiudza kuti aida kurega basa. Aiva nemakore 56 bedzi uye ari murume akachenjera, anoshanda nesimba zvikuru. Gare gare, ndakanzwa nevaaishanda navo kuti Alfie akanga ava kuita zvikanganiso zvisinganzwisisiki mukuronga. Vaiwanzozvivharidzira.
“Pashure pokunge arega basa, takatenga hotera. Sezvo Alfie aigona kushandisa maoko kwazvo, taifunga kuti aizobatikana achigadzira nzvimbo yacho. Asi, panzvimbo pezvo, aiwanzodaidza munhu anogadzira zvinhu.
“Gore rimwe chete iroro takaenda nemuzukuru wedu ane makore matatu kuzororo kumahombekombe muDurban. Aifarira kutambira pamujikija nechemhiri kwomugwagwa kubva pamba pataigara. Mamwe masikati, kuma4:30 p.m., Alfie akaenda naye kunosvetuka pamujikija uye vakataura kuti vaizodzoka pashure pehafu yeawa. Pakasvika 7:00 p.m., vakanga vasati vadzoka. Ndakaridzira mapurisa runhare, asi vakataura kuti havatangi kutsvaga vanhu kutozosvikira maawa 24 apera kubva pavanonyangarika. Usiku ihwohwo ndakafunga kuti ndakanga ndava kupenga, pandairamba ndichifungidzira kuti vaive vaurawa. Anenge masikati zuva raitevera racho, pasuo pakagogodzwa, uye Alfie nemuzukuru wedu mumaoko akanga akamirapo.
“‘Manga muri kupi?’ ndakadaro.
“‘Usanditsamwira,’ akapindura kudaro. ‘Handizivi.’
“‘Mbuya,’ muzukuru wedu akatsanangura kudaro, ‘takarasika.’
“Fungidzira kurasika pamhiri pomugwagwa! Nanhasi handizivi kwavakarara usiku ihwohwo. Zvisinei, shamwari yangu yakavawana ndokuvaratidza pamba pataigara.”
Pashure pechiitiko ichi, Sally akaenda naAlfie kuna chiremba wetsinga, uyo pashure pokunzvera akataura kuti akanga arasika pfungwa (kusafunga zvakanaka). Sezvazvakazova, Alfie aiva nehosha yeAlzheimer (AD), iyo isati yava kurapika parizvino.a Magazini yeNew Scientist yokuBritain inotaura kuti AD “muurayi mukuru wechina munyika dzakabudirira ichitevera hosha yemwoyo, kenza uye sitiroko.” Yave ichidaidzwa kuti “chirwere chisingaperi chikurusa choukweguru.” Asi AD inogona kukurumidza kubata munhu, sezvakaitika kuna Alfie.
Sezvo vanhu vanorarama nguva refu vari kuramba vachiwanda munyika dzakabudirira, nhamba dzevanhu vanofungidzirwa kuti vacharwara nokurasika pfungwa dzinotyisa. Maererano nekumwe kunzvera, pakati pa1980 na2000, pangava nekuwedzera ne14 muzana muBritain, ne33 muzana muUnited States, uye ne64 muzana muCanada. Muna 1990 nyaya yepaTV yekuAustralia yakati: “MuAustralia zvino munofungidzirwa kuva nevanhu vane 100 000 vane Alzheimer. Asi pakupera kwezana rino remakore, kuchava ne200 000.” Vanhu vanofungidzirwa kuva mamiriyoni 100 munyika yose vacharwara neAD panosvika gore ra2000.
Hosha yeAlzheimer Chii?
Kunyange zvazvo kunzvera zvinhu zvingava zvichikonzera kuri kuitwa, chinokonzera AD chaichoicho hachisati chava kuzivikanwa. Zvisinei, zvinozivikanwa kuti AD ine chokuita nekuparadzwa pashoma nepashoma kwemasero europi, zvekuti dzimwe nzvimbo dzeuropi dzinonyatsodzokera mukati. Nzvimbo dzinonyanya kukanganiswa ndedziya dzine chekuita nemano okuyeuka nokufunga. Masero europi ane chekuita nemanzwire anokuvadzwa panotanga hosha yacho, zvichisakisa kuchinja kweunhu. Dzimwe nzvimbo dzeuropi dzinombosiyiwa kusvika gare gare—nzvimbo dzine chekuita nekuona kubata uyewo goko rokunze kweuropi, rinoita kuti tsandanyama dzishande. Kuchinja uku, inotsanangura kudaro Scientific American, “kunoita kuti munhu anokwanisa kufamba, kutaura uye kudya atadze kunzwisisa zviri kuitika munyika.”
Kazhinji kacho, hosha yacho inopedza makore anobva pa5 kusvika 10—asi dzimwe nguva makore anopfuura 20. Sezvainopfuurira, zvinhu zvinogona kuitwa nevanhu vanayo zvinoramba zvichishomeka. Pakupedzisira, vangatotadza kuziva vanhu vavanoda. Pakunopera kwayo, vane hosha yacho vanogara vakarara uye havagoni kutaura kana kuzvidyisa. Zvisinei, vakawanda vanofa nemhaka yezvimwe zvikonzero vasati vasvika pamatanho okupedzisira aya.
Nepo panotanga AD isingarwadzi, inokonzera marwadzo makuru kwazvo endangariro. Nenzira inonzwisisika, pakutanga vamwe vanotadza kudavira kuti vanayo, vachikarira kuti chinetso chacho chichapera.b Zvisinei, zvinobetsera kubvuma hosha yacho nokuedza kuderedza marwadzo endangariro ainokonzera. “Ndinodemba kuti kudai ndakakurumidza kuziva kuti kutadza kuyeuka kunoita kuti murwere wacho anzwe sei,” anodaro Bert, ane mudzimai ane AD ane makore 63. Hongu, zvinobatsira mhuri kudzidza pamusoro peAD uyewo nezvenzira dzekurarama nayo. Tapota dzinzvere neMukai! pamwe nezvimwe zvinhu munyaya mbiri dziri kutevera.
[Mashoko Omuzasi]
a AD yakatumidzwa zita raAlois Alzheimer, chiremba wekuGermany uyo akatanga kuronderedzera hosha yacho muna 1906 pashure pokuvhiya chitunha chomurwere akanga arwara nepfungwa zvakakomba. AD inofungidzirwa kuti ndiyo inoparira 60 muzana yekurasika pfungwa kwevanhu, ichibata munhu mumwe chete pagumi voga voga vane makore anopfuura 65. Rumwe rudzi rwekurasika pfungwa, kunoparirwa nokuvharwa kwetsinga, kunoparirwa nesitiroko duku, dzinokuvadza uropi.
b Nyevero: Kunyatsotariswa navanachiremba munhu asati anzi ane AD. Inenge 10 kusvika ku20 muzana yevanhu vanorasika pfungwa imhaka yehosha dzinorapika. Kuti zvizivikanwe kana munhu ane AD, bhuku rinonzi How to Care for Aging Parents rinotsanangura kuti: “Kana munhu ane Alzheimer zvinogona kuzivikanwa zvakajeka bedzi panoongororwa uropi hwechitunha chake, asi vanachiremba vanogona kuziva kana dzisiri dzimwe hosha uye kana iriyo kupfurikidza nokunzvera zviratidzo nekufuratira zvisingashandi.”
[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 12]
Vanhu vanofungidzirwa kuva mamiriyoni 100 munyika yose vacharwara neAlzheimer panosvika gore ra2000