Five Things You Need to Know About Alzheimer's
Usually around the age of 60, symptoms of Alzheimer's will start to manifest themselves if indeed the disease is present. Sometimes, these symptoms are dismissed as part of the ageing process but unfortunately in many cases, it is not just a question of getting old.
These symptoms can be broken down as follows . The person has difficulty performing otherwise familiar tasks, such as preparing a meal, opening a car window or using a household appliance. In the late stages, the patient will also have functional and behavioural symptoms. It manifests itself through cognitive symptoms (loss of memory and failure to learn new things) and emotional symptoms (anxiety and depression). Some patients also have psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.
Diagnosis of this disease is never simple or straightforward and will start by excluding other possibilities. The patient will be asked to take a number of laboratory tests such as medical tests and laboratory measurements. The actual diagnosis can take up to several weeks in some difficult cases although sometimes just one day will be sufficient.
Treatment options are many and varied depending on what your medical care advisor may decide. There are various drugs now used which will try to block a damaging enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) which if left unchecked will damage another enzyme which plays a vital role in protecting the neurons of the brain. The only problems with these drugs is that they have nasty side effects and sometimes the doses have to be gradually increased. The results will vary from person to person but they do slow down the disease in many cases.
Some doctors prescribe the NSAIDs which are the nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs which are very well known, such as aspirin and ibuprofen. They have had mixed results too but do offer some protection from the nasty enzymes mentioned above. Gingko biloba is a well known plant extract used for many purposes but again, this has dangerous side effects although it has been shown to improve some brain function. Estrogen, a hormonal substance, is prescribed but there is a risk that it may cause strokes
The disease can last from 5-10 years or even longer. The disease will progress from simple forgetfulness to debilitating severe dementia. Most sufferers (about 70% in the USA) will live with family members at home. There is no cure for the disease at the moment and care consists of medication mentioned above and care giving.
Patients and families both go through a traumatic time during the progress of the disease. The fact that the disease is a degenerative one provides challenges for all carers. When the final stages occur, the patient will not be able to communicate at all with his or her loved ones which only increases the stress on the health care proxy.
Can we prevent this debilitating disease and what can we do about it ? Diet has been shown to be decisive and recent research just published shows that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, with whole grains, fish, garlic, olive oil and a little red meat will reduce your chances of contracting this disease - even by up to 60%. The Mediterranean Diet has been studied extensively for this very reason and now research has given it an accolade that very few other diets can even aspire to win.
For Health Tips To Make You Feel Good visit The Wellness Bible Click here for other unique 'Alzheimer's disease' articles.
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