About -Alzheimer
Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive degeneration of brain tissue that primarily strikes people over age 65, is marked by a devastating mental decline. Intellectual functions such as memory, comprehensions, and speech deteriorate. Attention tends to stray, simple calculations become increasingly difficult, with bewilderment and frustration worsening at night. Dramatic mood swings occur- outbursts of anger, bouts of fearfulness, and periods of deep apathy. The suffers increasingly disoriented, may wander off and become lost. Physical problems such as an odd gait or a loss of coordination gradually develop. Eventually, the patient may become totally non-communicative, physically helpless and incontinent. The disease invariably becomes fatal.
Alzheimer’s can run its course from insidious onset to death in just a few years, or it may play out over a period of as long as 20 years; the average duration, however is about 7 years.
SYMPTOMS
- Mood changes; depression, paranoia, agitation, anxiety, selfishness, childish behavior.
- Disorientation, confusion, in attention, loss of memory for recent years, inability to retain new information.
- Increased tendency to misplace things
- Dizziness or impaired equilibrium
CAUSES
Although many people develop Alzheimer’s as they grow older, the disease is not natural result of aging. It is an abnormal condition whose causes continue to be investigated.
The gradual loss of brain function that characterizes Alzheimer’s disease seems to be due to two main forms of neural damage: Never fibers grow tangled, and protein deposits known as plaques build up in the affected tissue. Researchers are not yet sure why or how this tissue degeneration occurs, but some of the most promising recent research points to a normally occurring blood protein called ApoE( for apolipoprotein E), which is required for the transport of fatty substances in the body. As with all proteins, its form is genetically determined, and several different types have been identified- some of them apparently associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s. It may be that certain forms of ApoE lead to destruction of nerve cells in the brain. Another possibility is that the protein, perhaps working in combination with other substances, is involved in the formation of the plaques. Whether or not ApoE is part of the causative mechanism of Alzheimer’s genes almost certainly can play a role in the diseases. A person with a parent who had Alzheimer’s is known to be at higher risk.
Other causes have been proposed. One theory suggests that ingesting tiny particles of aluminum- from cookware, for example- may lead to Alzheimer’s. Another proposes a link between plaque formation and free radicals- unstable, free-ranging molecules that can produce destructive chemical reactions. Both theories are controversial and unproved. Indeed, many researchers now consider the link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum extremely questionable.
Another controversy centers on Zinc. In a 1991 study, Alzheimer’s patients were given Zinc supplements because other studies suggested that Zinc could help improve mental alertness in the elderly. However, after only two days the patients’ mental abilities deteriorated so rapidly that the study was considered too harmful for the subjects and was immediately abandoned. Three years later, laboratory tests showed that zinc could cause proteins to form clumps similar to the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. But the connection between Zinc and Alzheimer’s remains unclear. For one thing, scientists remain unsure whether plaques cause Alzheimer’s or are they a result of disease; if the later, zinc’s ability to form plaques might be unrelated to what causes Alzheimer’s in the first place.
In a minority of cases, trauma may be a contributing factor. About 15 percent of Alzheimer’s sufferers have a history of head injury.
DIAGNOSTICS AND TEST PROCEDURES
Diagnosis by a professional is particularly important because a number of other ailments- many of which are treatable- share some symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These include respiratory infections, inadequate nutrition, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Anemia, Hypoglycemia, Depression and cerebral vascular insufficiency (decreased blood flow to the brain due to constricted arteries). An adverse reaction to prescribed medication, or a harmful combination of medicines, can sometimes cause Alzheimer’s – like symptoms. Other diseases and conditions sometimes confused with Alzheimer’s are Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke, Thyroid problems, brain tumors, advanced syphilis and Huntington’s Chorea- an inherited degenerative nerve diseases.
To check for Alzheimer’s, the doctor will probably begin with physical and psychological tests designed to eliminate other possible causes of mental impairment. Verbal tests and interviews of the family are usual next steps, but they will not produce a definitive diagnosis. Until recently, only a postmortem examination of brain tissue could yield absolute evidence of nerve tangles, protein plaques, and general brain shrinkages from cell death.
Simple, accurate diagnosis has become possible with a newly developed procedure that involves no more than administering a certain type of eye drop. Apparently, Alzheimer’s sufferers are extremely sensitive to the drug Tropicamide, which is widely used by optometrist for the dilatation of pupils. The dilatation ob=served in individual with the disease is there times great as in healthy subjects. This seems to be true even before symptoms of these diseases become apparent.
TREATMENT
Alzheimer’s disease is incurable.
Nothing can halt or reverse it. However, certain medications seem to slow its general progress to some degree in the early stages, and others can help with mood changes and other specific behavioral problems of the disease.
Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is often stressful for family members; support organization can help caregivers cope with problems and feelings. Eventually full-time nursing care will be necessary.
ALTERNATIVE CHOICES
As with conventional medicine, alternative therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s cannot promise a cure, but in some cases they may help slow the progress of the disease or help address specific symptom
ACCUPRESSURE
Not surprisingly, Alzheimer’s patients easily become depressed and anxious. To help these burdens, practitioners suggest the acupressure techniques, they are specifically designed to promote relaxation and to serve as general health tonic
CHELATION THERAPY
Chelation Therapy, which involves the nonsurgical removable of accumulated metals in the Body, targets aluminum- believed by some researcher to have a causative role in Alzheimer’s, it has been suggested that aluminum molecules link with calcium molecules to bind together the deposits called Plaque. The Chelation technique involves a series of intravenous injections of the Amino acid Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) which is thought to loosen the hold of the calcium and capture the aluminum, later releasing it as waste. Studies have suggested that this therapy can slow the progress of the disease. It is controversial and may have potentially dangerous side effects, however. Consult your Doctor before undertaking treatment.
HERBAL THERAPY
Ginkgo Biloba Extract (GBE) from the Ginkgo Tree ( Ginkgo Biloba) is said to alleviate early symptoms of Alzheimer’s- among them, deterioration of short term memory, depression, absentmindedness, anxiety, dizziness, inability to concentrate, confusion, and ringing in ears. The recommended average dose is 40mg, taken three times daily; Look for capsules containing 24 percent Ginkgo Flavoglycosides. According to the proponents of this therapy, positive results are seen after four to six weeks.
HOMEOPATHY
To avoid over medications with conventional drugs, consult a Homeopath for remedies that may help in treating unusual or disruptive behavior; typically, you will see results within a week.
AT HOME CARE
To help an Alzheimer’s patient cope with episodes of disorientation and mental lapses, promote a feeling of safety in everyday possible: Maintain stable, familiar living environment; stick to routine; when you must be absent, leave reminder notes and simple directions
Wandering and getting lost is common problem, with Alzheimer’ patients; wear an ID bracelet with phone no on it.
To induce someone with Alzheimer’s to talk more, go for a walk. Studies suggest that walking may stimulate areas of brain linked to speech.
To help an Alzheimer’s patient develop a more positive outlook on the present, try eliciting reminiscences: Often long-term memories are not initially impaired, and pleasant recollection can create feeling of happiness and well being. This can be effectively done in a group. Good nostalgia-promoting materials include old magazines, photo albums, and favorite family stories. Avoid pressuring the patient to remember. A subtle question or two may provide the key to a memory.
PREVENTION
No one knows for sure what causes Alzheimer’s so any preventive measures are highly speculative at best. But it’s important to remember that even if Alzheimer’s runs in your family, you will not necessary develop it yourself. If you are concerned about the possibility that you might eventually develop Alzheimer’s, your bets strategy is to maintain healthy lifestyle: Eat right and exercise regularly to keep tour entire body – and especially the nerve cells in your brain – in good shape. In particular, avoid cigarette smoke and air pollution as best you can; this will help you minimize your exposures to free radicals, which some studies have implicated in the formation of nerve plaques.
Although some studies suggest a link between Alzheimer’s and zinc, doctors do not recommend that you attempt to limit your daily intake; zinc is essential mineral, and while you should avoid overdosing on zinc, you would do more harm than good by restricting your intake below the recommended daily allowance (15 mg for man, 12mg for women).
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