Brain care and preservation is very important

Bengaluru: Brain is one of the most important organs of the human body. This one and a half kg organ is like a remote control, controlling the entire human activities. Brain control is essential for the movement and activities of all body parts. If the brain becomes inactive, it is nothing but the patient is medically dead.

To raise awareness about the brain and its diseases, the World Brain Foundation celebrates World Brain Day on 22nd July every year. Brain Awareness Week is observed across the world for a week from July 22. Brain awareness campaigns are held in major cities in all the states of India as well.Speaking to The Hans India, the Senior Neurologist and Stroke Specialist, Secretary, Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru and Karnataka Stroke Foundation Bengaluru, Dr. Suryanarayana Sharma PM said, 'The human brain is a wonderful creation of nature. Weighing only one and a half kilograms, this organ is a complex structure containing about 100 billion neurons. The brain is like a remote control, controlling all activities of the human body. That said, brain control is essential for the movement and activities of all body parts. If the brain becomes inactive, a person is medically dead."

Keeping in mind the crucial role of the brain in the human body, awareness about the brain and information about its diseases can help maintain good brain health. Statistics show that treatment gap due to awareness issues range from 50%-90% in various parts of the country. For example, a recent industry report (reference link) shows that one out of four people are aware of signs of getting a brain stroke. Patient and public awareness is key, and this can be achieved via public awareness programs led by doctors, hospitals and government organisations, he said.

"A good lifestyle plays a very important role in the control of brain diseases. Problems like blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, high cholesterol should be strictly controlled. Smoking and alcohol should be avoided. Eat more nutritious foods, avoid fried/oily/ sugary foods. Vegetables, sprouted pulses should be consumed more often. Every day everyone should practice at least 30 to 45 minutes brisk walking, jogging, running, exercise, yoga, meditation etc. to maintain the physical health," he said.

The theme of this year's World Brain Day is "Brain Health for All". This is a message that conveys the importance of the brain, functional activities and conservation to all.

This year's World Brain Awareness Campaign has been organized keeping in mind the five points - Awareness, Prevention, Advocacy, Education and Access. By giving incentives to doctors, patient self-help groups, organizations who run the best campaigns, they are encouraged to inform the public even more. Indian Association of Neurologists is a pan-India organization of neurologists with more than 3300 members. "As part of Brain Day celebrations this year, more than a hundred public events have been organized across the country. Important among these are creating awareness about brain diseases among employees of corporate organizations, giving special lectures on brain health to students of schools and colleges, organizing debate competitions, making young children interested in the brain and its diseases through painting competitions, providing necessary training and information to patient self-help groups. It also conducts a unique campaign called Two Million Steps Towards Brain Health to maintain physical fitness for its members."