Alzheimer's
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Dr. Alois Alzheimer first identified the disease in 1906. He described the two hallmarks of the disease: "plaques," which are numerous tiny, dense deposits scattered throughout the brain that become toxic to brain cells at excessive levels, and "tangles," which interfere with vital processes, eventually choking off the living cells. When brain cells degenerate and die, the brain markedly shrinks in some regions.
| Plaques are deposits of a protein call beta amyloid or A beta. When A beta molecules clump together in the brain, they form plaques which prevent signals from being transferred between nerve cells in the brain, ultimatelly causing cells to die.. |
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Tangles are fiber clumps of a protein called Tau. Tau proteins can be seen as parallel railroad tracks within the brain. Nutrients and other important material are transported along those tracks, keeping brain cells alive.In healthy brain areas, tau proteins make sure that nutrients can reach their destination.In unhealthy brain areas, the tau protein collapses and twists, forming tangles which prevent nutrients from reaching brain cells, resulting in cell death. The effects of Alzheimer’s diseaseAlzheimer’s disease is a fatal disease that eventually affects all aspects of a person’s life: how they think, feel, and act. Each person is affected differently. It is difficult to predict symptoms, the order in which they will appear, or the speed of their progression. The following are some of the changes you may expect as the disease progresses. Cognitive and functional abilities: a person’s ability to understand, think, remember and communicate will be affected. This could impact a person’s ability to make decisions, perform simple tasks, or follow a conversation. Sometimes people lose their way, or experience confusion and memory loss, initially for recent events and eventually for long-term events. Emotions and moods: a person may appear apathetic and lose interest in favourite hobbies. Some people become less expressive and withdrawn. Behaviour: a person may have reactions that seem out of character. Some common reactions include repeating the same action or words, hiding possessions, physical outbursts and restlessness. Physical abilities: the disease can affect a person’s coordination and mobility, to the point of affecting their ability to perform day-to-day tasks such as eating, bathing and getting dressed. TreatmentThere are several medications that can help with symptoms such as memory decline, changes in language, thinking abilities and motor skills. Although there is still no cure for Alzheimer's disease, those who respond to these treatments can experience improvements in their quality of life for several years.
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| Herbal remedies that help with Alzheimer's | |||||||||
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