The other day I had a question about Alzheimer’s disease. Is there was anything that could be done to prevent, cure or slow it down? Before I try to answer I would stress the importance of getting a proper diagnosis.

A number of other treatable conditions may look like Alzheimer’ disease. These may include thyroid problems, depression, infections, vitamin deficiencies, dehydration or inappropriate medication. If you are uncertain or worried, ask your doctor for a full medical assessment.

Remember that being forgetful is not necessarily a sign of an illness. No one has a perfect memory and people of all ages forget things ever day. As we get older, we tend to worry unnecessarily about forgetfulness, fearing dementia. Most elderly people do not suffer from dementia and for those who are affected; symptoms may well remain minor for a number of years.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?

It is the most common type of dementia, affecting over half of all dementia sufferers. Other types of dementia are multi-infarct dementia - lots of tiny strokes which cut off the blood supply to part of the brain. We also have alcohol-related dementia where it is important to give up drinking completely to stop the disease progressing. Common for all are loss of nerve cells in the brain.

Nerve cells in the brain normally send electrical messages to one another. In people with Alzheimer’s disease, abnormal changes cause a break down in communications between cells. When messages are no longer able to be transmitted, the cells may die. As a result, certain aspects of brain function will be lost.

Because of this, people may behave in unusual ways. They may forget important information that used to be common knowledge to them -like how to drive a car, how to behave in public, how to get dressed etc. They may tend to dwell in the past and mistake friends and neighbours for long-departed family members.

Conversation may become repetitive and the personality may alter as people develop odd or uncharacteristic behaviours. In the later stages of the illness, sufferers may change so much that it may be very hard for carers to bear.

What can you do?

In the early stages of the illness, there are practical ways to deal with the problems arising. These include keeping a diary or using a notice board for reminders. Treatment is also aimed at supporting patients and carers by providing information about the illness and by giving information about potential sources of assistance. Depression, poor sleep, agitation and behavioural disturbance can all be helped by medicines.

Caring for someone with any kind of dementia can be difficult. Support may involve giving the carer a break. This may involve the patient going to a day centre or maybe to a nursing home for some weeks intermittently to allow carers to recharge their batteries. Joining a carer support group can also be helpful.
Medications.

Considerable research has been devoted to Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. Although a cure is still a long way off, medical treatments are available with modest benefits for some patients. I suggest that you ask your doctors about this.
There is also some evidence that the food supplement gingko biloba can be helpful in improving mental function in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s disease.