Thursday, February 7, 2008

Alzheimer'sand what to avoid

Alzheimer’s disease is a gradual process. Mild forgetfulness is its initial symptom. However, a person with mild forgetfulness need not necessarily have Alzheimer’s disease. In the initial stage, patients start forgetting their daily routine. They may not remember places, things or people they were familiar with before. They are unable to take any decisions and may resist any changes in their life. In the middle stage, behavioral changes are noticed in Alzheimer’s patients. Patients may accuse people around them of stealing. They may sleep frequently or be awake at night. They may face difficulties in organizing thoughts. They may keep on repeating the same things. At a later stage, Alzheimer’s patients need to be taken care of. They may scream loudly. They may not be able to recognize themselves. They may be unsteady. They may have difficulty in eating food. They may not have control on their bowels and bladders. They may touch or cry repeatedly.

Alzheimer’s patient should avoid high fat and high calorie diets. They must also abstain from salt, alcohol, cigarette smoking, processed foods, refined carbohydrates and environmental toxins. Inflammatory agents like anti-oxidants are also beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients. Therefore patients with Alzheimer’s disease must eat a diet which contains antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, green tea and so on.

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