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It is usually in the 60's that symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can start appearing. Very often they are dismissed as just 'getting old'. In many cases unfortunately, these symptoms have much more serious consequences thanjust getting forgetful or just getting old. When a person has difficulty in performing a normal daily task, then this may be a warning sign that Alzheimer's may be present. These tasks could be opening a window, using some appliance at home or a simple household task. In the later stages, behvioural problems emerge and loss of memory will begin to create problems for the sufferer and those around him/her. This,coupled with anxiety and depression and even hallucinations will create futher problems. How is the disease diagnosed ? Currently the diagnosis is based on excluding other possibilities and is clinically assumed. However, before the Alzheimers diagnosis can be given to the patient and their family, the patient must undergo a variety of laboratory tests, such as medical assessments and laboratory measurements. Alzheimer's disease testing can take anywhere from one day to several weeks to ensure accuracy and proper diagnosis. 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. 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. Many people ask abut prevention as they worry about their old age and wonder if the same thing could happen to them. Prevention is key and reserach now shows that diet can play a very important role. The Mediterranean Diet has been studied for a very long time and the people who follow it have a low incidence of heart disease and senile dementia. Research shows that fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grains with little red meat are decisive in prevention of this disease - even by as much as 60%!
Article Source: http://www.philvault.com
Learn how diet can help prevent Alzheimer's more about what you eat and how it can prevent senile dementia. Learn how diet can help prevent Alzheimer's
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