Progressively the various body systems may be affected by Alzheimer's disease. It is one of the most debilitating diseases known to man. Since it is a progressive disease, the effects on the various systems of the body do not all happen at one time. Eventually it will affect not only one area or one system but all bodily systems.
Progressively Alzheimer disease will effect a wide range of body systems.
Alzheimer's disease is perhaps the best-known disease under Dementia, a disorder that affects the mental processes. It is characterized by the progressive loss of memory that may lead to inattention's and inability to focus at a task, language problems and behavioral changes.
As the days progress, Alzheimer's patients may find themselves starting to forget important things like their addresses, their age and sometimes even their names. Initially Patients with Alzheimers disease may experience finding themselves unable to remember some bits of facts that happened the day before or a loss for words.
Often times, patients at the later stages will become dependents, acting like children who do not know what to do with themselves. Some will also behave differently, brought on by the frustration of not being able to do the things that they used to do. Some may not speak altogether because they will often forget the words that they should be using or saying. Patients who are in the later stages of Alzheimer's will start to forget how to do routine things like brushing their teeth, taking a bath or using their utensils.
Once Alzheimer's settles into the system, it would be there for life and there is no chance of it ever disappearing. Although there are medicines that can slow down the progress of the Alzheimers disease especially if discovered early on, there is no solution to the problem. Besides some medicines, there are activities that according to scientists can slow down the progression. Some of these beneficial activities are below:
Reading
Something as simple as reading the newspaper everyday and keeping your mind informed with the latest news is already something that can prevent the disease from settling in. Just make it a point to use your brain. Be an analytical reader and raise questions and do not just absorb the texts and then forget about it. Being an active reader and allowing your imagination free reign will go a long way for exercising the brain. In fact, studies have shown that people who love to read are less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Answering puzzles
Answering word games will also make sure that you practice words and increase your vocabulary, making it less likely for you to forget words and language. Another mental exercise that people with Alzheimer's do to help slow down the process is to answer puzzles such as word hunts, cross words and even Sudoku. The more that you use your brain, the better will be your prognosis.
Become a student
Learning a new thing also gives people with Alzheimer's the sense of purpose that they have lost since they were diagnosed with the disease. Patients with Alzheimers should make it a point to learn something new. This will exercise their brains. Creative tasks such as arts and crafts is another way to tap into the brain's resources without tiring them out. Being old does not mean that you cannot learn.
Alzheimer's disease is considered the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2004. The death toll continues to rise every year. The disease is the third most costly in the U.S. Heart disease and cancer are the first and second most costly respectively. It is recorded that there 24 million people with dementia worldwide, the figure will more than double by 2040.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that is irreversible with no known cause or cure. The disease affects two major types of abilities. Alzheimer's affects the very simple everyday activities such as dressing, eating, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, and even walking. One needs to be assisted in order to accomplish such tasks.
The other ability affected by the disease are the performance of more complex tasks like managing finances, driving a car, preparing and cooking meals and working in a job. It is normal for people with the disease to experience problems with complex tasks first which later on move to the more simple everyday jobs as the disease progresses.
Treatment is vital for people with Alzheimer's disease. Treating a patient requires the conglomeration of the expertise of a family doctor and various medical specialists like psychiatrists or neurologists, psychologists, therapists, nurses, social workers, and counselors. Because the disease affects not only the patient but the whole family as well.
It is very important that family members work closely with the doctors in administering the treatment. The family should be informed of activities that are dangerous for people with Alzheimer's disease. Some of these activities include driving or cooking.
Treating dementia related symptoms of Alzheimer's vary. But such treatments can only be effective if the dementia is caused by factors like medications, alcohol, delirium, tumors, depression, head injury and infections. There are, however, some treatments that are being used to "cure" the well being of a person afflicted with the disease.
Activities like playing music, personal interactions, playing videotapes of family members, walking and light exercise and pet therapy have been found to be successful in helping people develop friendship, mutual support and spiritual connectedness with the people around them.
However, one should remember that such activities can be beneficial to one but could be detrimental to another patient. The best activity for a person with Alzheimer's varies. Former hobbies or points of interest of a person could also be used to help people with the disease and their families to cope.
One could assist the person to engage in activities like supervised gardening, singing, cooking, painting and drawing as long as routine is established. It is very important to engage in these activities on a regular basis for this could help the person establish a sense of stability.
Some therapies combine various activities and have proved to be fairly successful and garnered some favorable results. Such programs combine music, exercise, crafts and relaxation which obtained the best results.
Some even add various structured sessions like meditations, sensory awareness and guided imagery in their attempts to calm and pacify the already unstable behaviors of patients with Alzheimer's.
Aside from daily physical exercise and social activities, some of the things that you also need to consider in treating a patient are proper nutrition and health maintenance; daily activities that will give the feelings of accomplishment for the individual; keeping the patient out of harm's way; and knowing the physical and emotional limitations of the patient, the care giver team and the family.
Both Alex Shepps & Sam Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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