Category: Alzheimers
Two Lifestyle Choices To Fight Off Alzheimer’s
With our population aging, health problems for seniors are getting to be a big issue. One of the most pressing needs is Alzheimer’s disease. This is a cognitive memory disease which causes a slow deterioration in the ability of the person to recall long term memory. It starts with forgetting people’s names, even ones they have know for decades, and progresses to a point where the patient can’t remember how to dress themselves.
Alzheimer’s is a very terrible disease that can be quite traumatic for the family as well as the patient. Some doctors are estimating that 10% of seniors could be living with the problem over the next few decades.
The good news is there are steps a person can take to ward off the effects of this medical condition. The first one is to eat a diet rich in natural foods and to stay away from sugar and processed foods. One great lifestyle diet is a low carb diet which substitutes protein and vegetables for processed foods that contain sugar and refined grains. This seems to help with brain chemistry which can slow down the onset of this terrible malady. For more information on a low carb diet click here.
The second lifestyle change is to stay active: both physically and mentally. Getting exercise everyday can help to improve blood flow to the brain and help with removing toxins from the body. It doesn’t have to be excessive either. Just walking every day makes a big difference.
You should also try to keep your brain active by doing mental exercises. Crosswords and Soduko are both great for this. These changes won’t cure the disease but it can slow down its onset. Many people are living quite well with early stage Alzheimer’s by making just a few changes to their lifestyle. They may still be a little forgetful at times but it is nothing like the worse cases.
The Emotional Impact of Alzheimers on Family Members
Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that can take an incredible toll on anyone. But perhaps the biggest effect is the one imposed on surrounding family members. While everyone is focused on the Alzheimer’s patient, people start to neglect themselves. It’s important to remember that in order to take care of someone else, you have to take care of yourself first. A lot of people feel guilty about worrying about their own emotions before caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. But if you aren’t up to par then you won’t be able to handle the emotional stress of dealing with the situation. So it’s absolutely essential that you make your own health a priority so that this condition does not create more victims than necessary.
One of the biggest emotional impacts that Alzheimer’s has on family members is in creating a lot of guilt. There is guilt that results from a feeling of helplessness. Family members often feel like they should be doing more, but in many cases is absolutely nothing more they could be doing. This is a condition that runs its course despite any kind of medical intervention. If the best doctors and experts aren’t able to find a cure, you shouldn’t feel guilty about not being able to alleviate the symptoms either.
There is also a lot of guilt associated with leaving an Alzheimer’s patients to live in a nursing home or center designed specifically for these types of patients. It can be hard to see your family member in this type of situation where every time you see them they look more deteriorated as if they have undergone fast weight loss. Sometimes you wonder if they’re being taken care of properly, and it might be tempting to want to bring this person back into your home. You really have to consider this is the best course of action or if it’s something you want to do just two of the pure guilt.
It’s vital that you’re able to talk to someone about your feelings with regards to the subject. There are experts and specialists available who can help family members. Make sure to reach out and express your concerns while talking the problem over. Bottling things up is no way to approach the situation, and your health is just as important as the person with Alzheimer’s.
Fish Oil May Help Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s
A common question that many people have is whether they can reduce the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease, and if they feel that they are at risk or in the early stages, whether they can slow its progression. Now I don’t wish to promote any sort of quack or suggest that what follows is a cure, or even anything approaching one (what’s more, if you are in the early stages please ensure you see a medical professional).
But there are encouraging signs coming out of a number of research studies into fish oil and Alzheimer’s that suggest that regular consumption of foods rich in Omega 3 oils (such as oily fish) may reduce the risk.
One study was conducted on animals such as rats and mice. It found that if they consumed fish oil for a long period of time, then they had a reduced risk of the disease developing. The studies also showed other positive benefits including improved cognitive function (in other words the rats stayed smarter even as they got older) and reduced brain cell loss.
Studies on humans have been less positive, perhaps because they have to take place over a much longer period of time. Even so they have shown some benefits. In one study conducted on older women, the consumption of omega 3 oils such as fish oil showed a marked reduction in the rate at which they suffered from cognitive decline. It pointed to the fact that additional studies in this area are probably needed.
There are also many other health benefits to taking fish oil. These include improved heart health and a reduced risk of diabetes. There is also a growing body of evidence from clinical trials suggesting that fish oil can help with weight loss (in part of a proper programme that includes exercise) as well as being of benefit in reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
So even if you aren’t taking fish oil to help reduce the risks or impacts of Alzheimer’s, there are still many reasons to take it.
Prevent Or Delay The Onset Of Alzheimer’s
Researchers are working hard to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there is also a focus on prevention and delaying the onset. They have discovered it may be possible to prevent or at lease delay the onset of this condition with a combination of healthy habits.
While we can’t control our genetic predisposition we can control certain other lifestyle factors that can influence what happens to us as we age. There are 6 areas to work on if you are trying to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s: sleep, exercise, diet, mental stimulation, stress management and an active social life.
Sleep is something too many people are lacking. First try to address any issues that are interfering with your sleep like night sweats in women or restless leg syndrome. Then start working on your sleeping habits. Keep a regular sleep schedule, meaning go to bed and get up at about the same time every day. Keep your bedroom relaxing by avoiding work, computers or television in the bedroom. Start a relaxing bedtime ritual that includes relaxation techniques, reading or a warm bath.
Regular exercise can slow cognitive deterioration. If you’re already physically active keep up this healthy habit. If you aren’t start incorporating exercise into your regular lifestyle. Start going for walks, riding a bike or join a local gym. Choose exercise you enjoy so you stick with it. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise at lease 5 days a week.
Eating healthy feeds your mind and your body. Good eating habits will also reduce inflammation. Follow a Mediterranean diet by eating lots of fresh produce, whole grains, nuts and olive oil. Avoid both trans fats and saturated fats as much as possible. Get plenty of omega-3 fats from things like flax and chia seeds. Eat 4 to 6 smaller meals a day and eat produce from all the color groups including green, red, orange, yellow and purple.
Keep your brain active by learning new things. Try learning a new language or a new skill. Play strategy games and practice memorization. Eat new foods and when driving or taking a walk take a new route.
Stress can take a toll on the brain. Reduce your stress level with regular exercise, but also try using some relaxation techniques. Sometimes simply breathing exercises can reduce stress, but there are a variety of other things that can work like yoga, playing with pets or meditation. Find something that works for you.
Humans are social beings. Maintain a strong support system by reaching out to friends and family. Also consider volunteering, joining a group or club or taking classes of interest. Commit to social outings so you connect with people on a regular basis.
Nicotine Has Potential In Alzheimer’s Therapy
There have been rumors flying around or a decade or so that the addictive component of the tobacco plant might be able to serve the purpose of staving off Alzheimer’s in those susceptible to the disease. Although this might sound like wishful thinking on the part of the cigarette manufacturers it now looks as if there could be some truth in it. With an increasing number of us living to a ripe old age and therefore more likely to develop this condition it’s a scientific discovery which could have a profound effect on a massive number of people if suitable therapies can be brought to market.
My interest in nicotine as a Alzheimer’s treatment was reignited when I recently can across an article in science daily which claims this natural drug can reduce the side effects of medication. An new and promising drug with is though could be helpful in treatment was unfortunately found to produce schizophrenia and memory loss, but it’s believed nicotine latches on to specific receptors in the brain which could elevate these symptoms.
Other benefits of using nicotine seem to show it can help patients with their concentration and can be a boost to the short term memory, certainly something which holds promise for the future.
These reports of the benefits of nicotine definitely don’t mean we should all start smoking in the off chance our minds might work a little better in the future, but it is important that more research is carried out to discover if we can develop strategies to reduce the effects of this debilitating disease. Perhaps in the future doctors will be prescribe nicotine patches and products like smokeless electronic cigarettes to actually improve the health of their patients.
Alzheimers And Nail Fungus
My father had Alzheimer’s for the last 5 years of his life. He slowly lost his ability to recognize me and became more and more withdrawn as the days when by. But one thing did not change: he wanted to be impeccably dressed at all times. He had taken a shower twice each day all his life – once in the morning and once at night – and that routine did not change one bit.
I knew that if he developed a nail fungus infection (Onychomycosis) he would be absolutely distraught. He would look down at his yellow, ugly, brittle and distorted nails and become confused and stressed. The condition is very common among the elderly due to poor circulation at the extremities so I knew he was at risk. I also did not want to have to follow a repeated nail fungus treatment routine over many months to get rid of the disease.
I decided to incorporate a couple of extra steps into his hygiene routine to ensure that the likelihood of him developing fungal nails was reduced.
1) After every shower I would make sure that he very carefully dried each toe. As fungi like moist environments this is the best thing anyone can do to keep it at bay. See more about nail fungus risk factors here. We made a little ritual of taking each toe in turn and drying it. It’s something that my father began to enjoy doing himself.
2) I bought a bottle of tea tree oil and applied this every day to his nails. At first the strong smelling essential oil was a little confronting, but after a while he got used to it. Tea tree is an antimicrobial oil that has been used for centuries to keep skin and nails healthy and fungus free.
3) Even though my father liked to be dressed at all times, I did encourage him to take off his socks and shoes for a few hours each day. Fungi do not like light or unprotected environments so this is a good precautionary strategy.
4) I sprinkled some anti fungal powder into his favorite shoes every two weeks or so. With the progression of his Alzheierms my father only seemed to want to wear two pairs of shoes, so I wanted to make sure there was no chance that an infected fungal spore was harboring in them.
Alzheimers is a difficult disease to cope with – for both patient and carer. By not having to deal with a nail fungus infection, I feel we both took one step to make the experience a little easier – even if just by a tiny bit.