Alzheimers
Introduction / Overview
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by dementia, which becomes more and more severe as the disease progresses. There is a loss of language and intellectual facility as well as memory and the ability to function on a daily basis. Alzheimer’s disease causes brain cells to die and eventually people are unable to care for themselves.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Memory loss is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is not the same type of memory loss which comes normally with aging. Alzheimer’s patients forget how to do tasks which they have completed daily throughout their entire lives. This might be forgetting something as basic as how to cook a hamburger or how to write a check. Those with Alzheimer’s disease may forget the names of family members and eventually not recognize them at all. Some people with Alzheimer’s symptoms develop moodiness, become angry, depressed and cease to want to be in social situations. The stages of Alzheimer’s affect each individual differently.
Although Alzheimer’s disease cannot be diagnosed with 100% certainty until after death, there are Alzheimer’s tests doctors can perform to diagnose Alzheimer’s with a high degree of accuracy. Doctors order several different kinds of tests, from routine blood tests to numerous types of brain scans using such technologies as MRIs, CT scans, and PET scans. These tests can show changes occurring in the brain and whether or not some portions of your brain are working normally or not.
Known Causes
There is no one cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Research shows that it might be a combination of several factors, such your genes, environment and even lifestyle choices. Brain cells die off and there is damage caused by plaques, beta-amyloid protein, which stops cells from communicating with one another. There is also damage to another protein, known as tau, which makes up the support structure for the brain.
Treatments / Procedures
Alzheimer’s disease cannot be cured, but research has resulted in the development of several Alzheimer’s treatment medications which slow the progression of the disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors do not work for everyone with Alzheimer’s but can improve neurotransmitter levels for about half of the people who use the drugs. These meds have the generic names of galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil. Another drug, memantine, can slow the damage which is caused by glutamate, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages back and forth between cells.
Prevention / Vaccination
There is little which can be done to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Some test results show that keeping your brain active can decrease or delay the onset of the disease. Taking care of yourself is also beneficial. Eat a nutritious diet and maintain a healthy blood pressure as well as controlled levels of blood glucose and cholesterol. If you are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it is very important to wear a medic alert bracelet or carry a medical ID card identifying your disease, meds, and who to call in case of emergency.
Prognosis / Management
There are several things you can do to manage Alzheimer’s disease or to slow the development of symptoms of the disease. Eating a nutritious diet is one of these. This means eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, poultry and fish, whole grains, seeds, beans and nuts. It also means adding exercise to your lifestyle at a minimum of three time a week for a half hour. It can be helpful to write everything down, such as what you plan to do each day and to keep a calendar of appointments. Ask for help when it is needed whether you are the person with Alzheimer’s disease or the caregiver. There are often local support groups for Alzheimer’s disease. You can find them by contacting your local Alzheimer’s society or your state/national Alzheimer’s association.
Alternative Treatments & Products
There are several vitamins, minerals and herbs which are said to help to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these are vitamin E, ginkgo, and Huperzine A, which is made from Chinese club moss.