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Alzheimer's Disease- Facts You Should Be Aware Of

By: Robert William Locke

When do symptoms start to appear and what are they ? Symptoms usually start around the age of 60. In the early stages the symptoms of Alzheimer's can and are often mistaken as 'simply getting old' This, sadly is NOT the case as Alzheimer's Disease is not a case of '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.

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.

The brain contains a vital chemical compound called acetylcholine which preserves the neurons in the brain. When the disease starts to take hold, another enzyme starts to attack - this is called acetylcholinesterase and will destroy the healthier enzymes. The drugs are aimed to stave off this attack and preserve the healthy enzymes. But these drugs have some side effects and the results vary a lot but in many cases, they do slow down the disease.

Other drugs too have been tried with mixed success. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs ), the most common ones being aspirin and ibuprofen have been found to offer some protection. Another potential preventative drug is estrogen, but this can give rise to strokes. Gingko biloba, a popular plant extract associated with improving brain function, can have dangerous side effects too.

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.

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.

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.article-voip.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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