Archives for Alzheimer’s Disease

Simple Solution to Avoiding Alzheimer's

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time when we think of those affected by the condition and of ways to prevent it in ourselves.  Doctors have recently come up with one more way to avoid an Alzheimer’s diagnosis:  Sleep. This new research has to do with Beta amyloid, plaque that is found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.  And those seniors who are not getting enough sleep have more of it than those who sleep well. Does this mean that if you have insomnia that you are destined for dementia?  No.  But there does seem to be a link
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4 Alzheimer’s Myths Debunked

With Alzheimer’s disease affecting so many families, there is a great deal of information circulating about it.  There is also a great deal of misinformation.  It’s time to debunk some of these Alzheimer’s myths. 1. Myth: We know the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.  Although doctors have made huge strides in finding specifics of the condition, they have yet to find a definitive cause that links all of the cases. 2. Myth: Alzheimer’s disease is genetic.  Although we know that people with family members who have Alzheimer’s have a higher chance of being affected by the disease, it isn’t a sure thing.  It’s
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6 Tips for a Healthy Brain

With one in eight older Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease, doctors are working harder than ever to find a cure.  But with none yet in sight, we must for the time being concentrate on prevention. Luckily, there has been a large amount of research done on prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.  Researchers have arrived at six pillars to keep your brain healthy and reduce the risk of dementia. Get regular exercise.  Not only does exercise reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by fifty percent, it also slows the progression in those who are already affected.  Those are two good reasons
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Could Washing Your Hands Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?

Could Alzheimer’s disease be so prevalent in the United States because of our good hygiene?  Some scientists think so. The “hygiene hypothesis” has been thrown around to explain many different ailments – everything from allergies to autoimmune conditions.  The idea behind it is that because we live in such a “clean” society that our bodies are not exposed to the normal bacteria, viruses, and parasites it would normally be. Because of that, they theorize, our immune systems don’t get the exercise that they should be and so we become overly sensitive.  Essentially, our immune systems get bored and start acting
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Link Discovered between Sugar and Alzheimer’s Disease

In the Unites States alone, there are over 5 million Alzheimer’s patients, and that number is poised to double within the next 20 years.  Why so high?  That’s what scientists are trying to figure out. As a newly published study suggests, we may have more answers as to what causes Alzheimer’s disease.  The newest culprit?  Sugar. There has long been a link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, but it seems that even adults who do not have diabetes but have higher blood sugar run a greater risk.  Blood sugar levels rise and fall throughout the day in everyone.  The problem
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Is Your Immune System Causing Alzheimer’s?

As you know, new research is constantly testing theories about Alzheimer’s disease and new ideas are always popping up.  One of the most interesting and current theories is that a senior’s immune system may be the culprit in causing dementia. To discover this, scientists had to start at the very beginning:  infancy.  They noticed that when the brain was forming in babies, it often created too many connections.  When certain connections were determined to not be needed, the immune system would send out a set of special proteins to eliminate them.  This keeps the baby’s brain working smoothly as he
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Caring for Someone with Alzheimers

Nearly one third of the United States adult population has identified themselves as a caregiver.  And a large portion of those caregivers are helping someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease can be very difficult not only for the senior, but also for the caregiver.  As it is a long-term disease, the care can last from two years to easily two decades.  During that time, the caregiver often feels overwhelmed and isolated caring for someone with such a complex and difficult condition.  Here are some ways to ease some of that anxiety: Educate yourself.  The stress of caring for someone with
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Online Tool Created to Help Manage Dementia

Family caregivers to seniors with dementia often feel overwhelmed.  Although memory loss and cognitive problems are most commonly associated with the condition, dementia can often include drastic and disruptive changes in behavior.  Sometimes the behavioral symptoms are treated with antipsychotics, but they have severe side effects and often don’t work.  These changes can sometimes become too much for the family caregiver and the senior often ends up in a nursing home and heavily medicated. Researchers from the University of Michigan saw this problem and are in the process of finding a solution to help caregivers manage dementia.  They are creating an
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Dementia Patients Benefit from Using Imaginations

Imagination is powerful, but can it actually improve some people’s quality of life? That’s what TimeSlips’ founder, Anne Basting, asked herself in 1996.  So she steered dementia and Alzheimer’s patients away from reminiscent-based therapies, and led them towards improvisational and imaginative play.  What happened?  The patients were happier.  They interacted better with caregivers.  It even helped the staff become closer with the patients.  How Does It Work? According to futurity.org, the facilitator shows the seniors various pictures and asks each to describe what is happening in that picture.  When asked to use their imagination rather than memories, the seniors often become
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After the Dreaded Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

When the doctor says that fateful word, “Alzheimer’s”, it can be devastating not only to the patient but also to the family.  Once a family member is diagnosed with the condition, the question often is what to do next. cash advance First, get more information.  Write down as many questions as you can think of for the next doctor’s visit.  Are there more tests to be done?  What specialists will be involved?  What is the normal progression?  What are medication options?  The doctor will be happy to get you any information that will help you and the patient. Next, begin to research national, state, and local support
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