Many breakthroughs and important discoveries have been found throughout the years of research and testing regarding the cure and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Despite that though, there continues to be no known cure or prevention for Alzheimer's. Furthermore, once the disease has started, there can be no repairing or slowing down the damage of abnormal deposits of proteins in the brain.
People with Alzheimer's have abnormal deposits of protein in their brains. These brain protein coat the brain and interacts with the neurons, neurotransmitters and nerves, causing damage and massive atrophy. Eventually, the brain will continue to shrink and the otherwise wrinkled surface will start to smoothen out. This is basically what causes the degeneration in the mind and in the person's body.
There however are some drugs and treatments that seem to relieve symptomatic conditions slightly in some cases. These drugs and Alzheimer's treatments are especially important during the onset and early stages of the illness when the sufferer can still be aware of what he or she is going through.
For instance, a person with Alzheimer's at the early stages may suffer from depression or restlessness and certain drugs and Alzheimer's treatments can be administered to help with this somewhat. Also, there have been some cases where memory loss at the beginning of dementia can still be improved somehow. Other possible symptoms that can be momentarily alleviated are sleep disorders and hallucinations.
Beyond these, the proper Alzheimer's treatment of caregivers for patients is a highly specialized skill and needs to be administered by a professional. This will mean that the patient will eventually have to be entrusted in institutionalized care for the proper Alzheimer's treatment needed.
Of course, loved ones of the Alzheimer's patient will want to administer care personally but the care and Alzheimer's treatment needed by the patient will be full time and specialized so it is best for a professional caregiver to ensure dignity is maintained throughout the course of the person's disease.
Despite the present lack of Alzheimer's treatment and cure, hope should never be abandoned. After all the technological advancements that have been made in the field of science and medicine, it probably won't be long before the proper Alzheimer's treatment and cure will be discovered.
If not the cure or Alzheimer's treatment, then perhaps the methods of prevention against Alzheimer's will be found to help other individuals not fall into this predicament. Perhaps in the near future, there will be vaccines for Alzheimer's disease much like we all have vaccines against diseases like small pox and the like. All those diseases in the past posed a challenge to humanity then just like Alzheimer's does now.
In the meantime, if you or someone you know and care about suffers from Alzheimer's, it is best to consult a professional for possible options for instance for eventual institutional care, or for support groups or counseling advice that can be given to the patient and to his or her friends and relatives.
There may be some misconceptions and even some difficulty in accepting the situation of this disease whether it is on the side of the patient or from the people around him or her. For instances such as these, the right counseling and guidance is needed as part of the proper Alzheimer's treatment.
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Origins unknown, the battle with Alzheimer's continues.
One could trace back the history of Alzheimer's disease from a presentation and lecture made by a German psychiatrist in 1906 during 37th Meeting of Southwest German Psychiatrists held in Tübingen.
Dr. Alois Alzheimer presented his findings on a woman who had died after years of having memory problems and confusion.
When Dr. Alzheimer autopsied the patient's brain, he found thick deposits of neuritic plaques outside and around the nerve cells. He also found a lot of twisted bands of fibers or neurofibrillary tangles inside the nerve cells.
Today, medical specialists need to find the presence of the same plaques and tangles at autopsy in order to have a conclusive diagnosis that Alzheimer's disease indeed caused the disease. And due to this lecture and achievement in research and studies, the medical community has bestowed the honor of naming the disease after Dr. Alzheimer.
However, Dr. Alzheimer's work only signaled the start of years of medical research and studies which could only resolve the mysteries of the disease by so much. Up until now, Alzheimer's disease has still unknown origin and remains to have no cure. At first, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was limited for individuals between the ages of 45-65 since the symptoms of pre-senile dementia due to the histopathologic process are more common and prominent during this age.
However, during the 1970s and early 1980s, the term Alzheimer's disease began to be used to refer to patients of all ages that manifest the same symptoms.
Statistics show that around 350,000 new cases of Alzheimer's disease are being diagnosed each year. It is estimated that by 2050, there are 4.5 million Americans afflicted by the disease. Recent studies have shown that there is an increase risk of contracting and developing Alzheimer’s as one grows older.
It has been reported that 5 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 to 74 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Also, half of those in the 85 years and older age group are more likely to have the disease.
Generics have also been seen as a factor in the development of the disease. Scientists have found out that mutations on chromosomes 9 and 19 have been associated with the later stages of Alzheimer's. However, not everyone that manifests the mutations results to having the disease. Up until now, the relationship between genetics and late-onset Alzheimer's is still a grey area.
Meanwhile, other research have associated trauma as a factor that increases the risk of acquiring the disease. There are also evidences which suggest that lack of exercise increases the risk factor of Alzheimer's. It is important to avoid high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low levels folate in order to decrease the risk of developing the disease.
There are basically three stages of Alzheimer's disease. Stage 1 or Mild Stage is the early of the disease. At this stage patients become less energetic and will experience slight memory loss. Often times, the symptoms at this stage are either go unnoticed or are ignored as but trivial or normal occurrences.
At Stage 2 or Moderate stage, the patient needs to be assisted in some complicated tasks and memory loss is no highly noticeable. The final stage is the severest stage. Because the disease already progresses too far this point, the patient is unable to perform simple tasks and will lose the ability to walk or eat without help.
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