Thursday, April 23, 2009

Medical Treatment of Alzheimer's

Research for the care and the medical treatment of Alzheimer's is still ongoing. Though there is hardly any cure for Alzheimer's disease, you can still do a lot to maintain the quality of life for your loved one by helping him or her stay active for her lifetime. How? Here’s the help! You must know which treatment should be given to a person suffering with Alzheimer's and when.

Initial Treatment of Alzheimer’s
At early stages of the disease, doctors often prescribe medicines. These medicines provide temporary relief against memory and logical problems caused by Alzheimer's. Though these inhibitors are believed to retard the symptoms of the disease, it is impossible to prevent it from getting worse.

Ongoing Treatment
If the initial treatment of Alzheimer's seems to help the person, it can be continued unless it becomes ineffective in his or her case. The use of these medicines is likely to cause certain side effects too. If a person is unable to bear these side effects, the treatment of Alzheimer's must be stopped immediately.

It is also important to visit a health care professional for a regular check up to determine if a person is responding well to the medicines. A health care professional keeps a close watch on the changing symptoms of the disease and also educates the family members about the treatment of Alzheimer's.

In addition, it is important to watch for other health conditions as well. A person with Alzheimer's can also complain of hearing or vision loss, thyroid, arthritis, kidney problems, and other conditions which may intensify the symptoms of Alzheimer's. A person suffering with arthritis may find it difficult to even walk without help. A person having hearing or vision problem may become restless, anxious, and indifferent. If the person is given treatment for these problems as well, it can improve their quality of life.

It is difficult to treat a person with Alzheimer's, especially when the disease becomes critical. Ongoing treatment of Alzheimer's involves dealing with new problems as per the stage of the disease. A caregiver needs to maintain a safe environment so that the person may not harm himself. In addition, the caregiver needs to find ways to control troublesome behavior in a person with Alzheimer's such as night wandering or insomnia. Remember, there is no single strategy that seems to work for everyone. A successful caregiver needs to use various strategies to manage a person with Alzheimer’s and keep the family informed of any changes to ensure that the person is getting the right treatment for the disease.

With the progression of the disease, it may become more and more challenging for you to take care of the patient. In such a situation, it may become imperative to put a family member in a nursing home or assisted living facility to provide him or her adequate care she or he deserves.

For help in finding answers and/or services for your loved one, seniorservicematch.com is a great on-line tool. This service is easy-to-use and will match seniors to people and companies ready to service your needs.

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