Doing research on Alzheimer’s disease was very disheartening, just knowing what some people have to deal with on a daily basis was hard to imagine. I mean the simple definition of the disease is “progressive mental deterioration occurring in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. ” As you can imagine, that can take a toll on someone’s emotional stability, which can eventually lead to depression. Most people often mistake the symptoms of Alzheimer’s for just old age or stress. In fact, somebody can actually show the signs of early AD for up to eight years before they are actually diagnosed.
Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed clinically from the patient history, collateral history from relatives and also clinical observations. This is based on the existence of typical neurological and neuropsychological features and the lack of other conditions. The symptom that need be watched for above all others would definitely be short term memory loss. Say somebody asks you the same question time and time again, simply because they do not remember what your answer was; that should be a significant sign that something is undeniably wrong.
Don’t get me wrong, the person with the AD will not necessarily forget what happened in their lives in the past, it will just be harder for them to retain new information. The more progressive the disease becomes, the easier it is to notice the signs and symptoms. This stage of Alzheimer’s gets in the way of independence and everyday activities. The affected become helpless, usually having to rely on caregivers to get through their daily lives. Not only does it become more difficult to read and write, but it also becomes an everyday challenge to simply have a conversation with anyone.
In addition to that, the risk of falling also increases. This is because as time goes by, motor sequences become less coordinated. This in laments terms, means it is more complicated to stand and walk around compared to people who do not have the sickness wearing on them. In my opinion, the worst part of Alzheimer’s disease is the inability to recognize who certain people are. This affects not only the person who is suffering with the illness, but also their family. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown; it may be virus related, an environmental factor, or it could even be associated with a gene defect.
This disease is generally characterized as a terminal illness; however it is not the disease itself that kills you. However, what will end up killing you is actually outside factors that normally come with the Alzheimer’s disease. Examples of these factors include; oral and dental disease, pressure ulcers, malnutrition, hygiene problems, respiratory problems, skin or eye infections and even possibly pneumonia. Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s; however, there are some available treatments that may soothe the pain associated with it.
There are three methods of treatment available for AD thus far; these being either pharmaceutical, psychosocial, or simply care giving. Although they never truly help to delay or stop the disease, pharmaceutically speaking there are five medications that treat various side effects and soothe some pain. The psychosocial interventions, which are used as an alternative to drugs, help to reduce specific behavioral problems. The last and most exercised treatment in use would be care giving. That may sound odd, but because Alzheimer’s renders people incapable of tending to their own needs, they need somebody to look after and take care of them.
Simple modifications to an individual’s living environment can increase the patients’ safety and also help reduce the caretakers’ burden. How would one prevent Alzheimer’s disease? Well there is no definitive evidence to support that anything in particular is effective in preventing AD. However, many studies have been done on the subject of reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s; some of them may surprise you. Some beverages, such as red wine and coffee are actually shown to reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer’s later in life.
Intellectual activities also prove helpful; these activities may include reading, writing, playing board games, doing crossword puzzles or even playing musical instruments. One study really stunned me, it is hard to believe but medical marijuana may actually be helpful in averting the disease; this is because the THC was found to prevent the formation of deposits in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s. Now we get to the most important part, what is being done to help people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease?
As of 2012, the safety of over four hundred pharmaceutical treatments is being investigated in over one thousand trials worldwide. A quarter of these are already in the phase III trials, which is the last step before review and submission. This is not a form of prevention that they are working on; it is meant for the people already diagnosed with the disease. The vaccination is based upon the concept of training the immune system to identify, fight and reverse the deposition of amyloid; which will in theory alter the course of the disease.
Another study that is going on right now is on the effects that meditation may have on retrieving memory and cognitive functions. Being that further research needs to be conducted in order to get more accurate results, nothing can be said for sure yet; but so far the results of the meditation techniques are hopeful. In conclusion Alzheimer’s is a life altering disease in which the brain slowly deteriorates causing many tribulations in ones daily life. It is saddening that one may have the disease for up to eight years before actually being diagnosed; fooling themselves into thinking it is just stress or that they are simply getting old.
Memory loss makes it harder for an individual suffering with Alzheimer’s to perform daily activities or to even recognize their own relatives. Scientists are presently working on finding the cure and trying to solve the mystery of Alzheimer’s. The cause of this disease is still unknown, consequently meaning that there is no definite cure yet. Some medications and treatments are known that may soothe some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s; however they are only temporary, being that they have no effect on preventing or halting the disease itself.