Tag: memory loss

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 Tbingen.

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 Alzheimers as one grows older.

It has been reported that 5 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 to 74 suffer from Alzheimers 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.

Arthritis Symptoms May be Alleviated by Fruits and Vegetables

Arthritis Symptoms May be Alleviated by Fruits and Vegetables
Joe Serpico

If you or someone you know suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, you know how painful and debilitating it can be. If you haven’t walked a mile in those shoes, you can’t imagine how frustrating it can be. Your doctor may say try this medication, try that. Don’t do this, do that. But sometimes, to no avail. The disease is caused by a misguided immune system attack on the body’s own joint tissue, which leads to swelling, pain, stiffness and in some cases deformity. Rheumatoid arthritis is more common among women than men. Perhaps what you’re eating, or more specifically what you’re not eating can be causing some of your soreness. Recent findings suggest that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and certain oils aids in relieving symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis. After following a diet rich in fruits and veggies for three months, people with rheumatoid arthritis experienced a number of improvements not seen in people following a typical American diet high in processed foods. Some of the improvements shown include a decrease in pain, inflammation, disease activity and in the number of swollen joints. Further, previous research suggested that more olive oil and cooked vegetables help protect people from the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The current results suggest that “patients with (rheumatoid arthritis) can obtain better physical function and increase their vitality” from eating a fruit, vegetables, legumes and some oils diet for three months, write Dr. Lars Skoldstam of Visby Hospital in Sweden and colleagues. This plan is similar to that of people who live in the Mediterranean. They also tend to eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, and legumes, more fish and less red meat. Moreover, they drink a moderate amount of wine, and rely on olive oil as their main source of dietary fat. Earlier research has suggested that followers of this diet enjoy a wide range of benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and memory loss. Additional studies have shown that citrus fruit and zinc may also cut rheumatoid arthritis risk. Citrus can be helpful because of the antioxidants they contain. Findings are not conclusive, yet promising. In the study, the doctors found that women getting less than 40 micrograms of beta-cryptoxanthin, a component found in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit were at a somewhat elevated danger of developing rheumatoid arthritis than women who consumed more than that amount. Although thus far it has only been proven that genetics is the culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis, if there have been some findings as to the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, wouldn’t it make sense for suffers to up their intake? It certainly can’t hurt… and may actually help. Now please pass the broccoli with a side of grapefruit! About the Author
Joe Serpico is webmaster at aa-fitness-guide.com. For much more information regarding exercise, health, nutrition, and fitness, visit http://www.aa-fitness-guide.com

Alzheimers and Dementia

Alzheimers and dementia are strongly linked because Alzheimers disease is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is the constant evolution of the atrophy of the brain’s cognitive functions. In the case of Alzheimers, abnormal protein build up happen in the brain which interferes with its normal functions through interactions with the brain nerves and neurotransmitters that cause these elements to whither and die.

Alzheimers and dementia are attributed with progressive memory loss and other functions that are attributed to brain deterioration. Natural brain atrophy and cognitive function loss is a normal experience by humans as we age. However, Alzheimers type of dementia is way beyond that of what is considered the norm.

Alzheimers type dementia is extremely debilitating and the disease can run its course from as fast as 5 years but some cases stretch on to 20 years. The disruption of Alzheimers type dementia can be very confusing and difficult. What’s really hard to accept is that as of the moment, there are no known cures or successful treatments available for Alzheimers patients.

Of all the types of dementia, only a very tiny percentage is reversible and Alzheimers is not one of them. Once it attacks, there can be no slowing or stopping down. All one can do is be prepared for the onslaught. In this case, it is also important the patient’s friends and loved one understand and know all about Alzheimers and dementia so that they too can be allowed to cope with this situation.

If you suffer from the very early stages of Alzheimers type dementia, it can be very difficult for you to accept what is happening to you while you are aware of your situation. Often times, patients can create very difficult situations for themselves as well as for the people around them. For instance, people with Alzheimers type dementia can have the same conversation with the same person over and over again without realizing it.

Perhaps a person with Alzheimers type dementia can forget that they have just previously called a loved one to tell them something only to put the phone down and call right back to talk about the exact same thing. Situations like these can cause difficulties that is why it is important for people with Alzheimers type dementia to have the proper care.

Loss of correct judgment will inadvertently follow as the Alzheimers type dementia progresses so it might be prudent for patients to be supervised all the time. Eventually, patients will have to depend exclusively on specialized care for all their needs. This makes it important for patients and their loved ones to choose the right facility for this process.

It is important that people with Alzheimers type dementia be treated with respect and dignity all throughout the duration of the disease. While the patient has not lost all ability to make judgments and remember important things, they should be consulted in terms of what facilities or type of professional care they think they would benefit from.

As a loved one of someone who has Alzheimers type dementia, it can be very hard and painful to witness the progressing of the disease. This may cause some negative emotions and a lot of grief that may be unwittingly projected at the patient.

However, at the onset of the disease, when the patient is still conscious and aware, they can go through an even more painful process of accepting their disease.

Alzheimers Information

Unbelievably, one out of ten people over the age of 65 have Alzheimers disease. In fact, in a recent statistic polls, almost 19 million Americans suffer one way or the other from this dreaded progressive disease. Below are some information that you will find useful about the disease.

What is Alzheimers disease?

Alzheimers disease is a degenerative problem characterized by memory loss as well as loss in thinking skills. It is actually part of a constellation of memory and brain problems called dementia. It can lead to behavioral changes, loss of language skills, disorientation, confusion and increasing dependency. Most experts believe that Alzheimers is caused by a problem in the genetic make-up and is often associated with old age.

What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimers disease?

What is however difficult with this problem is the fact that the onset of the disease will often manifest in symptoms often associated with forgetfulness when getting old. What separates this problem though is the fact that people with Alzheimers will eventually even forget normal routines and simple tasks. For instance, patients with Alzheimers can forget how to hold a spoon and fork while others will forget how to brush their teeth and take a bath. Believe it or not, some medical experts even say that some even forget hoe to breathe, something which comes quite naturally with a person.

One problem though with this is the fact that one can actually have no way of knowing whether it is ordinary forgetfulness or Alzheimers when it is just in the initial stages. It can start with ordinary forgetting of names and faces until it progresses to something major that can render the person totally incapacitated.

Who are affected by Alzheimers disease?

Although there are cases of Alzheimers that affected people in their 30s, most patients are over the age of 65 and a vast majority is over the age of 85. In addition to old age, experts believe that a family history of the same problem or of dementia may predispose someone to the disease. This is because experts pinpoint a defect in the genetic make up of the person who has Alzheimers disease.

People who are not much into mental pursuits or work that do not much involve mental strains will also most likely develop the disease compared to people who often stretch their mental muscles. In fact, one of the way to prevent the onset of dementia is to exercise the brain all the time especially during old age.

Even when one is already retired from work, old people should not forget to still use their minds by engaging in mental pursuits such as reading, answering crossword puzzles and even playing board games.

How do you diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease?

As mentioned earlier, it is extremely difficult for a person to differentiate an ordinary case of forgetfulness and dementia at the beginning of the progression. Some of the symptoms of the disease such as slow mental processing and forgetfulness may be attributed to other problems such as thyroid gland problems, reactions to medications that are being taken, and even just a normal aging process.

To really ensure that the problem is indeed Alzheimers, doctors rule out other possibilities and conduct series of tests. The only way actually to conclusively determine the presence of Alzheimers is to examine a cross section of the brain tissue when a person is already dead.