Treatment Options For Alzheimer's Disease

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.

The first alarming signal is when the person affected has marked difficulty in doing simple tasks which previously they performed with ease. These can range from opening a car door to getting a meal ready or using a simple household appliance. As the disease progresses into the later stages, the person will display behavioural symptoms. Loss of memory and a failure to grasp new things together with anxiety and depression are common symptoms. Some persons suffer from 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.

Some doctors prescribe the NSAIDs which are the nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs which are very well known, such as aspirin and ibuprofen. They have had mixed results too but do offer some protection from the nasty enzymes mentioned above. Gingko biloba is a well known plant extract used for many purposes but again, this has dangerous side effects although it has been shown to improve some brain function. Estrogen, a hormonal substance, is prescribed but there is a risk that it may 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.

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