Alzheimer's Disease - Trying to Understand

Everyone sometimes forgets something; whether it is where they left their car keys or the reason they walked into a room. When things like this happen, people often joke and say that they had a "senior" moment or even worse - Alzheimer's. There is one thing that Alzheimer's disease is not - a joke. Alzheimer's strikes the elderly predominantly. An age is hard to pin down, but typically, the majority of sufferers are over the age of sixty-five. No one really knows why Alzheimer's disease exists or why symptoms start showing when we get older.

Alzheimer's disease is the most known form of dementia. This disease attacks the brain function, namely memory. It affects learning, reasoning skills and the ability to make common sense decisions. Alzheimer's eventually robs patients of their independence. A simple walk to the corner grocery can turn into a scary ordeal as they lose their way on a path they had taken for years. They forget to eat or bathe. They might mix their grandchildren up with their children. Symptoms start gradually and slowly escalate. More advanced stages of the disease can cause changes such as apprehension, anxiety and delusional behaviors.

Alzheimer's patients can live for years. Thanks to the wonders of modern science, they can be healthy in every other way and linger for years with brain function steadily decreasing as time goes on. Each Alzheimer's sufferer is different. Some can live for over twenty years after their diagnosis, while some only a few years. Of course, this is entirely subjective as it greatly depends on when the person got tested for Alzheimer's disease.

Years of research has been conducted to determine the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Although a cure may not happen for several lifetimes, scientists are at least beginning to understand a little about it. Age, of course, is the most common factor of all sufferers. And secondly, genetic history is also a culprit in contributing to Alzheimer's. However, age and genetics alone cannot account for the scores of people who have it. Some scientists are studying how our environment and diet could possibly be playing a role. In addition, scientists believe that many people, more than we think, may carry an Alzheimer's "gene." They believe that how that gene reacts to other genes could be the key to solving the mystery of why this disease exists.

Treatment of Alzheimer's is a multi-pronged attack. There are some drugs available that might slow down the disease somewhat. Some doctors decide to treat the symptoms of the disease like sleep aids for insomnia or anti-depressants for depression and restlessness. Some researchers believe that various vitamin and herbal remedies can help as well. Antioxidants like vitamins C and E have been shown to slow down the disease's progress in some patients. The same applies to ginkgo biloba, long touted as a cognitive enhancer. Estrogen supplements used for menopausal symptoms have also shown some effectiveness in reducing some risk of acquiring the disease as well as slowing it down.

Not much is known about Alzheimer's disease, but strides in medical science are being made every day. The only thing we can do is take care of our loved ones stricken with the disease and hope that at some point in our lifetime, a cure will be found.