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How Alzheimer’s disease is treated and managed

How Alzheimer’s disease is treated and managed

A person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease would experience memory problems, and even face issues with their thinking process and behaviour patterns. This disease does not set in instantly, as its progression is slow; the symptoms start showing gradually over the years. With time, they get worse to the point where they affect the person’s ability to perform day to day tasks.

Let us take a look at how Alzheimer’s disease is treated:

Alzheimer’s is diagnosed with a series of tests. These include a physical check-up and certain medical tests. The medical tests involve neurological evaluation of basic movements like balancing and standing, as well as blood tests, CT scans, and MRI scans. The patient’s mental health is also evaluated. Following diagnosis, the treatment of Alzheimer’s involves the use of certain medicines. The main one used are:

Memantine

Memantine is a medication that works towards slowing down the advancement of Alzheimer’s from a mid-level to a more serious phase. It is typically not given alone, but with other medication as well.

Cholinesterase inhibitors

Cholinesterase inhibitors work by raising cellular communication to improve the balance of certain chemicals in the body. It is due to an imbalance in these chemicals that Alzheimer’s develops. Cholinesterase inhibitors also help to cope with certain symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease such as agitated behaviours. They are also useful for patients who feel low. Donepezil is an example of a Cholinesterase inhibitor.

Antidepressants

Patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease are often prescribed antidepressants along with other medications. This is to help cope with behavioural symptoms such as depression. The use of these medications can vary from case to case and patient to patient depending on a range of factors.

Sleeping tablets

This medication is not generally prescribed to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. This is because these patients are already prone to confusion. But in certain rare cases, doctors do prescribe sleeping tablets for these patients.

Antipsychotic medications

Antipsychotic medications are given to Alzheimer’s patients who have severe symptoms like hallucinations and agitation. Antipsychotics can be very lethal for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This is why these medications are only prescribed in the rarest of cases.

These are some common medicines that doctors prescribe patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. There are many clinical trials that are underway in the hopes of being able to treat Alzheimer’s disease more efficiently.

There are also some lifestyle and management tips that are used by families of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Even though they do not cure the disease, these tips help in bringing about improvement in the patient’s condition.

  • Store medicines in a safe location
  • Keep valuable items such as money, credit cards, and cell phones in the exact same place so they can be found easily
  • Ensure that the patient has a smartphone with their GPS location enabled in order to track them any time
  • Declutter the house so that they do not stumble upon anything, minimizing the risk of injuring themselves
  • Remove any unnecessary mirrors around the house as the patients may find reflections scary

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