Alzheimer’s Disease
Old age brings few diseases with it, Alzheimer’s disease is one of them although not yet fully reached to conclusion of the reasons for the disease but what the doctors have found for sure that any one reason would not be the cause of this dreaded problem. Missing relations, Forgetfulness, forgetting about own existence, do or feel thing, which do not even exist is not a simple problem like the one old people generally face in old age. This is matter of their existence as they forget every thing that keeps them associated with life and even family.
However, the problem could well relate to certain causes like heredity, the upbringing, lifestyle for sure and dietary habits. There maybe certain other factors those play their role like hypertension, brain cells’ rate of death of a particular person. But one thing is for sure that this is not all about old age and its effects but indication of a serious problem called Alzheimer’s disease. Some people think that dementia is part of Alzheimer’s disease but the fact is that these two have different symptoms..
Age memory and Alzheimer’s disease
People have always been suffering from loss of memory as the age progresses after crossing past a certain age limit but the disease came into light while associated with name of Alois Alzheimer about a century ago. According to reports, there are almost 20 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease all over the world today. The most amazing part of the story is that there are still so many people who do not categorize this problem or associate it with any disease despite the problem having so many effects and side effects, however there are no certain reasons to ascertain particular reasons, which may lead to its real cause.
What is Alzheimer's diseases 
In simple language Alzheimer’s disease is a mental stage where it takes over the memory in a slow process and reaches to the stage where a person becomes unable to perform his routine jobs. He begins to forget names, numbers, directions and even the relations at an advanced stage. He slowly reaches to the ultimate stage where he cannot express himself clearly or speak in a proper way.
How to test
People used to believe that there is no pathological tests for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but the situation has changed much now as they have invented a way to detect AD at an early stage through a lab test performed on gene of disease as algorithm classification was confirmed. Other symptoms including tension, brain tumors, depression, thyroid, lack of vitamins and frequent infections and brain scanning help experts to reach to the conclusion easily.
No fixed Treatment
The AD has no fixed prescription to date but physicians treat patients according to their own diagnosis or patients symptoms although most of patients suffering from AD treated on merit on stress reliving and sleeping doses. Also, the patients are prescribed a diet similar to that of patients suffering from heart and brain related diseases and advised to cut on sugar, salt, trans fats, high cholesterol and junk food. A balanced diet and regular exercise in a routine keeps them in a far better shape. What they eat is important-
1. Healthy Breakfast- Most dieticians advise a healthy breakfast to give brain an energy for the whole day. A healthy breakfast with proper calories helps improve memory and concentration.
2. Low Sugar- Sugar is good for brain but not table sugar, the glucose that comes from the source of foods, one can experience it by having a glass of sweet drink makes while feeling low does wonders for the working capacity. Right quantity of carbohydrates and sugar contents are good for AD patients but in case of diabetes the sugar intake should be according to physician.
3. Fish- A very good source of protein especially omega-3 works as brain tonic also reducing the risk of brain stroke, improves memory. To keep in good mental shape eating fish is helpful for AD patients.
4. Different nuts- Like walnut and groundnut with antioxidants and vitamin to add help fight stresses and also develop B type cells antibodies good for fighting with bacteria.
5. Blue berries- Considered super food for brain as the antioxidants present in them and helpful in saving from free radicals reduces the risks of Alzheimer’s disease, activates neurotransmitters and improves body muscles.
6. Whole Grains- Every organ of our body depends on proper blood circulation and a minor disturbance can make major changes in working and its capacity. Here the whole grain’s role come into action as this keeps blood circulation right and also help reduce the chances of layer of plaque deposit on brain, which is one major cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
The way they behave
The patients of Alzheimer’s disease behave differently, they never act same in same conditions but keep changing suddenly. Also no patients act similarly therefore this is hard to asses but totally on situation based. The first and foremost symptom appears in shape of memory loss and this problem increase to extent that the patient forgets almost every thing including names, dates and keeps asking same questions or discussing same topics time and again. What makes the situation worse that the patients forgets so common and normal routine that a person can do just by practice in normal course. The patient behaves too confused about almost any thing or every thing. He even doubts of a particular routine job and keeps asking about its validity.
Dementia- different from Alzheimer's disease?
Is that true that dementia and Alzheimer's disease have same symptoms or these two differ from each other! As per medical terms dementia is symptoms or group of symptoms taking place due to disorder, which may affect the brain. The persons suffering from dementia are forgetful, cannot think properly and may make simple mistakes while going through their routine jobs.
They may behave as children do while having food or forget their relations or even if they lose their dress sense. They may found wanting to solve some of their most common problems, which are otherwise routine for normal people. The people with symptoms of dementia may imagine things, which may not be there at all or not happening around
Patients of Alzheimer’s disease suffer from vision problem also the get easily confused about colors and shades. Another common problem with AD patient is repetition, he keeps repeating same phrases again or forgets writing in the middle of a writing session. He stops suddenly while talking to some one and forgets about the topic or looks confused while unable to continue. Another problem an AD patient faces he forgets about the things he kept only moments before and keep searching for them in wrong places. In some cases he puts some articles not belonging to him and in case of strangers the situation may take an ugly shape. The patients suffering from AD cannot calculate properly therefore face lots of problems while shopping alone as they can pay more or bargain for wrong reasons. Ultimately the patients of Alzheimer’s diseases find themselves cut-off from society and away from social activities.
Alzheimer at a glance
A. Patients suffering from AD never tested properly in 60% cases- Therefore this is best to have them tested and diagnosed properly so that they may get a timely treatment, which is helpful in a recovery up to a great extent.
B. A proper care of the patient with signs of Alzheimer may help his cause as the disease that generally takes place after the age of 65 can stay away from possible accidents. The symptoms may vary but are obvious and a proper care may reduce problems for him.
C. Persons suffering from Alzheimer shows sign of disease in anxiety, loss of memory, trouble in speech and discharging daily routine jobs.
D. The patients find it tough to solve very easy problems, confusion prevails and their personality dips down suddenly to a very low level, in such cases they should not be left alone as this could cause them physical harm.
E. Most patients lose sense of direction, loss of memory, wrong decisions, misplaced items and finally away from social life because they become unwanted in the society. That really is a distressing situation.
Cooperation is only treatment
In initial stages a patient of Alzheimer's is taken for a normal case of age related forgetfulness that converts a patient into trauma, more or less a person who retaliates for the sake of his ego. The best remedy for such patients is a proper counseling by a neurologist. However nothing works without proper cooperation of the family members because the patient is not in a position to help himself in such cases. This is better to look after the patient with love and care that should help him more than wasting money and leaving him to his own fate.
The golden rule in such cases is that earlier the better, time is important factor in Alzheimer related patients. Timely medical help can save him from getting worse or maybe recovering him and bring him back to normal but only when a timely treatment provided. The role of the family members is more important because the time is main factor in treatment or even if he does not recover fully the sympathetic behavior keeps him in good state of mind. If a patient is kept busy with mental activities that may do world of good for his mental happiness because the mental exercises, music, games, dances etc are big relief for patients of Alzheimer’s disease.
In India where there is no proper care is available especially on medical treatment level. Most patients suffer due to lack of awareness or careless attitude by the family members because the people who suffer have lost their value as they are no more considered as earning members and the social values of most Indian societies consider them as burden on the family. Most old people ill-treated while they need best care even if not suffering from any diseases, one can easily imagine the condition of patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer, which needs costly treatment and long term care with love and care.
You can keep him in good mood
If you really care for your family member suffering from Alzheimer's disease you must find ways to help him out as much as you can keeping in mind that he did his best while you needed his support. The fact is that a person looses his personality while suffering from AD problem as he becomes a different personality within a same body frame that too a bit shaky due to old age. The person becomes a stranger for family members up to the limit that even they feel as if they have lost him forever and that is the situation when they behave differently with him to make things worse. The fact remains the person in that old shaky frame is the same old soul who did his best for the people who are neglecting him at the time when he needs them most. We should take care of such people fulfilling his simple requirements and small effort but that should help his cause in a long run.
1. He needs your love more than ever before because he turns too touchy.
2. In case of loss of memory, a person may not be able to remain to look after his own daily needs in an easy manner as we do in normal routine. We need a daily bath, proper food, social life and entertainment, so do they but if we do not look after his requirements, he would feel cutoff from life and depressed. His comfort level should remain intact, that helps him stay cool and even behave in better way.
3. He should feel that he has an identity of his own and his self-respect matters that should make him feel better and help keep in good mood.
4. To keep in good mood we should spare some time for him to play some easy games or if he is in better mental state at times, we may even go for his preferred games, which need more mental ability like playing chess. That is one good way of sharpening his mental abilities. Let him participate in small home jobs like cleaning doors, windows, gardening or keeping the lawn in good shape.
5. If we allow him to talk freely, he may feel at ease. People in old age generally find their past experiences as best topic to share with others, you may not find them interesting but letting him tell his stories makes him most comfortable and stress free, that is one good remedy for him to keep calm and composed also part of the family.
Finally
The ultimate truth is that if we really care and love the person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and see to that he lives a normal life, as a normal human should we shall have to make some adjustments in our routine to make him comfortable. This is not only humane but as good as our worship to God. Remember loving some one who did his level best for whole of our life deserves at least that much from us.