Treating Alzheimers Disease - Research Paper Example

? Treating Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is an advanced disease that results in reduced mental capabilities and cognitive disorder. It is a severely devastating form of dementia. Although due to the advancements in technology in the field of medicine cure to many dangerous and earlier thought as incurable disease have now become curable and the people all over the world particularly in Canada are likely to live extended ages. Through the years it has been observed that the population aged above 65 years have doubled as compared to previous years and it is predicted that the population will continue to soar. The earlier symptoms of the disease start from the deterioration of the brain cells in the cerebral cortex of the brain. The disease is usually characterized with the loss or weakening of memory and loss of any of the thinking functions. Other forms of dementia are also there but except for Alzheimer all other forms are curable. The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is extremely sluggish. It can be present in you for two to twenty years without letting you know about it. The initial symptoms are very general like forgetting about the day’s routine, going somewhere, etc. (Journal of Alzheimer's disease 1998). Alzheimer’s disease is incurable and the many researchers have also not proved beneficial and fruitful in providing a cure or preventing the start of Alzheimer’s disease. However if it is diagnosed at an early age of the disease and them carefully and properly handled and taken care of, there are chances that the cognitive function can be increased and improved considerably. It is very necessary that the disease be diagnosed at an early age so that its treatment can be started and the slow down the speeding up of the destruction of the brain cells. If there is a delay in the identification of the disease then it cannot be assured that whether the treatment will be effective or not. It is of immense importance that once the disease has been diagnosed the family members of the patient must be informed so that they can provide the patient with the best possible care. Usually the patients of Alzheimer’s disease die not because of this disease but because of other health related issues. The patient has reduced level of intellectual functioning and poor memory, as a result he becomes unable of taking care of himself and this result in deterioration of the health and ultimately death. By informing the family members of this disease they can take proper care of the patient. In order to find out about the cure, prevention and safety measures employed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease I searched through the library, internet, books, encyclopedias, journals, articles, newspapers, etc. By the use of books and encyclopedias I could find the information that is fact based and have already been proven through research. But by using the internet and different journals I was able to find the information and details that were new or under research. Newspapers also provided with the latest information on the research going on about Alzheimer’s disease. For a research report it is necessary that beside using facts and already proven knowledge we must include and focus mainly on the topics and knowledge that are new or are under research. It is a necessity that you develop the ability to identify which journals are according to the topic you are searching for. There are numerous journals available, if we start looking and searching each and every journal then a lot of precious time would be wasted but if we are aware of the proper technique that is to be used while searching and scanning through journals then it will not be a hectic task and you will be able to find the required journals in less time. Once the journals are found it is required that you know the procedure for finding the relevant details and information. The most appropriate method is to give a quick scan through the journal; this will help a lot in picking up the key words and the material that you require. Analyzing and arranging the data, information and details collected is a tedious, tiring and a task that requires extreme concentration, attention and devotion. Without proper focus and commitment it is not possible to properly arrange the data into a readable and understandable document. Through research it has been found out that the brain cells present in the cerebral cortex are first affected and then the deterioration spreads to other parts of the cortex and then to the other parts of the brain. The damaging of the brain cells causes a disruption in the electrochemical signals between the neurons which are the basic means of providing with intellectual abilities and controls almost all the actions of the body. The initial symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are similar to the symptoms of syphilis, tumours in the brain, other types of dementia, depression and many other mental illnesses. Therefore it is of acute importance that the disease is diagnosed with extreme care and precautions so that the Alzheimer’s disease is not mixed up with some curable disease. The patient has to go through a procedure of tests to diagnose the correct disease. A doctor will precede the case to a psychiatrist who will then pass it on to a neurologist. The psychiatrist with the neurologist will analyse the results and then come to a conclusion. Once the disease has been diagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease it is then further tested to find out the stage and intensity of the disease. A wide range of expensive medicines are required to maintain the person’s mental abilities. Different psychoactive drugs and sedatives are given to the patient. Many expensive drugs have been created in order to cure the disease but they have not proved beneficial. For the Alzheimer disease it is found out that preventive measures are much more effective than medications (Cohen 1999). The house in which the patient is living must be made free of noises, rugs, cushions, carpets and curtains with bright colours and abstract patterns must be avoided. The closet size should be reduced so there are fewer choices left to select from. More and more measures must be taken so that the patient’s confusion can be reduced. But with time homecare for the patient becomes insufficient as the case worsens and he needs to be shifted to a proper care centre where he can be kept under the proper care of doctors and nurses. It is necessary that the care taker must acquire proper knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and the preventive measures necessary so that he can take proper and effective care of the patient. The caretaker must have a high level of tolerance because handling of Alzheimer’s disease is not an easy task. It requires extreme patience as the patient can react absurdly over petty issues. Different institutions and care centres have been built in order to provide the Alzheimer’s patient with proper care so that he can live longer (Light, Enid, and Barry Lebowitz 1989). In my opinion it is necessary that the Alzheimer’s patient are kept isolated in proper care centres and institutions so that they are under the proper care of trained and educated doctors and care takers. Being under the care of professionally trained doctors will definitely improve the conditions of the patient and there are possibilities that the patient can live longer and because there is no proper treatment for such patients the only treatment that can provided to them are preventive measures and proper care and love. It can be concluded that Alzheimer’s disease has no cure but if diagnosed at an early stage can be controlled and limited up to a considerable extent. References Journal of Alzheimer's disease. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 1998. Internet resource. Light, Enid, and Barry Lebowitz. Alzheimer's Disease Treatment and Family Stress: Directions for Research. Rockville, Md: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, 1989. Print. Cohen, Elwood. Alzheimer's Disease: Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment. Los Angeles: Keats Pub, 1999. Internet resource. Appendix A By researching through journals, encyclopaedias, newspapers, and books it has been proved that there is no proper treatment available for Alzheimer’s disease. Although many researches have been carried out and many new drugs and medicine have been discovered, but they are not effective. The only proper and possible cure is to take proper care and take preventive measures. Scientific research continues on Alzheimer’s disease to find a proper cure for the disease but up till now the researches have not proved fruitful. Appendix B The different methods that have been used in order to gather the information are: 1. Scientific Journals, 2. Encyclopaedias, 3. Books, 4. Online articles, 5. Internet, and 6. Newspapers. Read More