Alois Alzheimer is credited with first describing the degenerative and incurable disease, Alzheimer’s disease. Since he discovered it in 1906, 26.6 million individuals have experienced Alzheimer’s. The symptoms are often described as being “age related” symptoms. The most common symptoms are short-term memory loss, confusion, difficulty remembering what they are doing, changes in behavior such as anger bursts when they are usually gentle in nature, irritability, an inability to remember the correct word for things, and not being able to remember how to do tasks such as turning on kitchen appliances or using machines at work that they have been using for years.

People with Alzheimer’s have more than just occasional lapses in memory, brain freezes when trying to remember what they were about to do or why they walked into a room. They may experience changes in mood and become irritable or angry when they are normally mild and sociable. They can easily become disoriented concerning place and time. All these things can become progressively worse or happen more frequently.

Making the diagnosis:

Doctors will want to perform a full evaluation in order to rule out other conditions before making the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Typically individuals see a doctor in the second stage of Alzheimer’s when the functional decline manifests itself in an obvious way. Others witness the steady decline in the person’s ability to function or perform daily tasks and urge the individual to get checked out. The diagnosis is often made by assessing behavior or by ordering cognitive tests. The doctor may order scans such as a CT scan or a MRI scan.

Getting treatment:

Many methods have been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease such as medications, mental stimulation, exercise, and by eating a balanced diet. Treatment may include a combination of medications and alternative methods. Medications such as cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, antipsychotics, neuroleptics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, sleeping medications and antioxidants are prescribed according to the symptoms the individual is having. Therapy and relaxation techniques may also help the individual; activities that stimulate the brain can be helpful.

Prevention:

Preventing Alzheimer’s is something most individuals think of as they approach age 60. Prevention of the disease or at least putting it off might be possible by avoiding chemicals and toxins in the environment and in your food. Avoid aluminum such as those that are reported to be in vaccines. Make a point to avoid head trauma when ever possible such as avoiding contact sports in youth.

The degenerative nature of the disease ends in the incurable reality and finality of the condition. Death usually comes as a result of complications from Alzheimer’s and not from the disease itself. Alzheimer’s is devastating to those who must watch loved ones fade and become progressively worse knowing that they will never get better; knowing that the downward spiral is the only direction that those with Alzheimer’s will travel.

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