Is There no Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease?

Even though more than a century has passes since the discovery of Alzheimer’s disease in Germany, there is no sure cure for the same. Alzheimer’s, which attacks and damages the cells of the brain and makes vegetable out of living human beings, is the fifth most death causing disease and more than five million Americans are affected by it. Alzheimer’s disease does not attack young people, and this disease is generally found in people who are 65 years and more in age.

It was way back in 1905 when the famous German physician, Alois Alzheimer first described about this disease in details and the name of this malady has been attributed to him. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of brain disorder which is progressive in nature and in its advanced stages, Alzheimer’s also causes death. Alzheimer’s disease targets and affects the brain cells of human beings and destroys them. This causes the patient to suffer from many problems like loss of memory and inability to pursue their work and hobbies. It also causes dilution of their thinking power which damages their social life.

Those who are affected with this disease tend to forget very quickly, and even forget their near and dear ones. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common forms of dementia, which is a standard term used to describe about loss of memory along with other intellectual capabilities. These disabilities are serious enough to impair the day to daylife of the patient. One should ensure that the patient is actually suffering from Alzheimer’s before proceeding forth for treatment.

There are other types of dementia too like vascular dementia which reduces the flow of blood to certain parts of the human brain. This disease needs a different type of treatment than Alzheimer’s. At times Alzheimer’s is often found in patients who are also suffering from vascular dementia and this disease is known as mixed dementia. Though patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease do not have any options for getting cured, they can enjoy the rest of their lives properly if they are provided with the correct type of support and services. It goes without saying that the love and affection of the members of the family plays a large part too.

Though Alzheimer’s disease had been discovered more than a century ago, the maximum research on curing this fatal disease has taken place only in the past 15 years. Scientists and physicians from all over the world are working together to find ways to treat this deadly disease. They are also trying to find means by which the onset of Alzheimer’s disease can be delayed, and if it has already affected a person, how it can be prevented from developing. There are many symptoms that are visible when a person has been affected with Alzheimer’s disease, and the commonest thing to watch out for is the loss of short term memory. The patients forget things that they have done within a few minutes.

Is it Alzheimer’s?

It has been a long time since you last cleared up your closet. However, that is not a big issue since you have enough time to spare and can complete this task as and when you feel. At the age of 65 and leading a retired life, nobody can be happier than you. There are no financial problems and you do not have to depend on your kids for your financial needs since you get your monthly pension. At times there are some odd feelings, but you cannot locate or pinpoint them.

Having nothing else to do, you decide to clear up the closet immediately. Fetching the keys from the cupboard, you stop for a moment to attend someone who has just arrived at the front door and has rung the doorbell. Keeping the keys aside you receive the letters from the postman and keep them carefully. Now back to cleaning the closet … but where are the keys? Just a few minutes ago you had kept them somewhere, prior to opening the door, but now you cannot recall where you had stored them. Maybe you have kept them on the table along with the letters.

You are aghast when you scan the table for the important letters are not over there. You scratch your head and try to recall where you had stored these two things. Try as you might, you cannot recall and your memory fails you. You treat this lightly and think that this is a temporary memory failure due to old age. However, you should take all possible precautions and consult the doctor immediately. These are the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease and it one of the most common and important cause of senile dementia. For those who do not know the meaning of the word ‘dementia’, it is an attribute that causes irreversible and progressive loss of the brain’s functioning.

This causes sudden losses of memory along with problems in speech and social skills as well. Alzheimer’s disease, which is also commonly known as Alzheimer’s generally affects old people and is rare among young people. Though researchers have found out a lot about this disease and know which particular brain cells die and degenerate during the course of Alzheimer’s disease, little is known about why this disease is caused or what triggers Alzheimer’s. In some extreme and rare cases it has been observed that Alzheimer’s is due to hereditary factor, but this cannot be said to be true for the majority of cases.

There are some other causes of dementia but they need to be isolated and distinguished if they are Alzheimer’s disease. If they are not, then they can be wholly or partly reversible. One should not try to assess these situations by themselves but seek the advice of a specialist who can help to identify this disease. This is the time when you near and dear ones should take care of you and bear with you. Your actions might frustrate your near and dear ones and to pull things together, lots of understanding and patience is required.

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