The Effects of Stress
As we grow older, we become less resistant towards the effects of stress. Aging makes a person more prone to the psychological and emotional effects of stress, and are not able to recover as easily. The effects of chronic stress on mental health are clear. Studies show the link between chronic stress and Alzheimer’s disease. In this article, distress is described as an effect of chronic stress, and possible solutions are discussed.
Everyone has been there. You are about to get into an accident, your heart races, your mind is completely focused on the oncoming car, time seems to slow, your thoughts become crystal clear. It's a near-death experience that you never forget. Your "stress response" has helped you to survive.
Here's another scenario: your boss is shouting at you, your kids are sick, bills are piling up, life is getting really stressful on a chronic basis, day after day, and... after a while, you can't think straight! Your mind is racing, you have trouble paying attention and focusing, memory is impaired, worries abound, you can't make decisions or you make bad decisions, and depression may set in. Now the "stress response" is impairing your brain.
What's going on here??Let's go back to basic biology. Long ago, through evolution, animals developed the "stress response". When a deer encountered a tiger, it needed a "survival response," the "fight or flight response," to either gear up for a fight, or to run fast, pay attention, and then remember where that tiger was, and never go there again. Animals evolved a biological way to accomplish these effects through the stress hormone "cortisol".
AlzCare in Texas. Quality Alzheimer’s treatment in a home setting. San Antonio, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Waco, Fredericksburg, Victoria.
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Tips for Traveling with a Person Who Has Alzheimer's Disease
Being a caregiver doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give up life’s pleasures. You can still enjoy traveling with a person who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. There are two keys to success in travel: plan well in advance and keep SAFETY your number one consideration.
Call your local Alzheimer’s Association and register with the Safe Return Program.
Remember to never leave your loved one alone during the trip. They are much more likely to wander in an unfamiliar environment.
If a situation presents itself, have a crisis plan ready and don’t be hesitant to seek assistance from local authorities and emergency services.
When preparing for bedtime at a hotel, secure the room door.
Maintain your daily routine such as mealtimes, rest times and bed times as much as possible. If you regularly take a walk with your loved one for exercise, continue that pattern on your trip.
Have comfort items such as pillows, snacks and water ready available when you travel.
If you are traveling by car and don’t have child proof door locks, consider renting or borrowing a car equipped with them.
Recruit a friend or family member to go along for the company and extra support.
Leave a detailed itinerary with family or friends. Check in with them often to let them know you are okay.
If you still feel that travel with your loved one may be too difficult, consider respite care at an assisted living facilities. Many facilities offer this form of short-term care. A helpful way to approach respite care with your loved one is to tell them that they are going on a vacation as well. Respite care will provide quality care and meaningful activities which will make their stay very enjoyable and safe. You can even call the facility while on your trip to make sure everything is okay.
Remember taking a break from your care giving responsibilities can be vital for your own mental health and physical well-being. In the end, it can be a great benefit to both care giver and recipient.
AlzCare provides quality care and treatment for Alzheimer’s patients in Texas. Our main office is in New Braunfels, close to San Antonio. We also have offices in San Marcos, Victoria, Temple, and Waco.
| | | | | After the Diagnosis
How important is a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease?
The earlier an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is made, the greater the gain in managing symptoms and allowing the person to take part in future life course decisions.
How long to persons with Alzheimer’s disease live after developing the disease?
Persons with Alzheimer’s disease often live for years with the disease, eventually dying from pneumonia or other diseases. The duration of Alzheimer’s disease from time of diagnosis can be 20 years or more. The average length of time from onset of symptoms is thought to be in the range of 4 to 8 years.
As Alzheimer’s disease gets worse, what changes can I expect?
In general, Alzheimer’s disease causes a gradual decline in 3 main areas that you can think of as ABC for short.
A: (Activities of Daily Living): This relates to a persons ability to take care of him or herself and perform routine tasks, such as getting dressed or cooking meals.
B. (Behavior): This relates to mood and personality changes, such as a person’s emotions, interest in being with others, and eating and sleeping patterns.
C. (Cognition): This includes a person’s ability to think, reason, learn and remember. Being able to remember names, past or current events or where you live is a good example of cognition.
AlzCare provides quality care and treatment for Alzheimer’s patients in Texas. Our main office is in New Braunfels, close to San Antonio. We also have offices in San Marcos, Victoria, Temple, and Waco.
| | | | | Early Onset Symptoms
Many times, symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease go un-noticed. The symptoms of Alzheimer's can easily be confused with the symptoms of other medical conditions, and often are. US News Health provides a list of conditions that could be symptoms of Alzheimer’s, and include a few paragraphs on what to expect with normal aging and memory.
Our ability to remember and to recall our past is what links us to our families, our friends, and our communities. As we age, subtle changes in memory occur. Simple forgetfulness (the "missing keys") and delay or slowing in recalling names, dates, and events can be part of the normal process of aging.
Most normal changes in memory and thinking are of little importance. Not every memory problem becomes dementia, and not every cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. But when memory loss prevents us from performing daily tasks and our accustomed roles in life, it becomes a health concern that needs further evaluation by healthcare professionals.
Memory has various forms that might be affected differently by aging. As we age, we maintain remote memory, procedural memory (performing tasks), and semantic recall (general knowledge). However, our ability to learn something new and recall it declines.
Other changes can also occur with normal aging:
Language comprehension (understanding the rules of language) is preserved as we age, as are vocabulary and one's understanding of syntax—the way in which words are put together. But some modest decline is seen in our ability to dredge up words and in verbal fluency—one's ability to "get the words out."
AlzCare in Texas. Compassionate treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease in comfortable, home settings. Alzcare facilities are located near San Antonio and in New Braunfels, Waco, Victoria, and San Marcos.
| | | | | Ibuprofen and Alzheimer's
A recent study suggests that taking Ibuprofen, or other non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications on a regular basis can dramatically reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia. Effects are seen when used long term. This study does not suggest taking Ibuprofen to prevent mental illness, as there are side effects.
Overall, people who used NSAIDs long-term were at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's -- about 25 percent lower. But the benefit was more pronounced with specific drugs.
The risk of developing Alzheimer's decreased the longer a person used ibuprofen, with those using the drug for five years more than 40 percent less likely to develop this dementia.
"It's not clear what the mechanisms are," Vlad said. It may have to do with reducing inflammation in the brain, reducing a component of the plaques which are a hallmark of Alzheimer's, or some as-yet unidentified process, he added.
"A clinical trial of ibuprofen for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease would be reasonable to get the risks and benefits," Vlad said. "There's also going to be ongoing research into developing drugs like ibuprofen without the toxicities."
A second study in the same issue of the journal, by U.S. researchers involved with the Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study, found that people with shorter limbs may have a higher risk of developing dementia.
Alzcare in Texas. Caring help for Alzheimer’s patients in home settings.
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