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Home | Home & Family | Elderly Care 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. What treatment options are there ? Medication now consists of various drugs which try to protect a chemical compound called acetylcholine, which is important for the functioning of neurons in the brain. These drugs help to preserve these essential enzymes which are damaged by another enzyme called acetylcholinesterase.There are considerable side effects of these drugs and the results are not significant is many cases but they can slow down the disease. Various other drugs have been tried, all with very mixed results and side effects. Estrogen is a hormonal substance but its main disadvantage is that it may cause strokes. Aspirin and ibuprofen (the well known anti inflammatory drugs) have had some success and have been found to offer some protection. A popular plant extract called Gingko Biloba is used but its main problem is that it can cause strokes. Medication combined with care giving is the most common treatment for Alzheimer's at the moment as there is no known cure yet. The disease will progress and worsen resulting in a debilitating severe dementia in the final stages. About 70% of the 4 million Alzheimers sufferers live at home with their families so very often these family members need counselling. While the disease progresses, the patient and family members will be traumatised and emotionally drained especially as in the very late stages, the patient just cannot communicate with his or her loved ones. This is very often hard to bear and adds to the trauma for the carers. Is there anything you can do to prevent this disease ? Research now shows that diet can be very important in preventing this disease but obviously this needs to be thought of before the age of 65. Lots of fruit, vegetables and omega-3 foods have been shown to reduce the risk of this disease by as much as 60%. Beat-carotene (carrots, for example) have been shown to have the same effect. One of the most effective diets known to mankind is the Mediterranean Diet which has been the diet of millions of people in the Mediterranean area. The incidence of degenerative disease among these people is lower than many other countries and as a result, it has been the subject of much research. Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
Find out how diet can help prevent Alzheimer's For Health Tips To Make You Feel Good visit The Wellness Bible
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