Sad that there are no cures for Alzheimer’s, but there are several “Therapy for Alzheimer’s patients” that help ease symptoms.
Medical science is still searching for an answer about why and how Alzheimer’s begins and what is the exact medication for it. Yet several therapies will help you or your loved ones, such as Music therapy, Art therapy, Cognitive enhancement therapy, and light therapy for the betterment of the patient. However, Sometimes therapies need to be adjusted or start new therapies over time due to changes in disease effects and behavior.
We have mentioned in detail some effective therapies suggested by many therapists to aid Alzheimer’s disease.
List of therapy for Alzheimer’s patients
Suffering from Alzheimer’s means losing cognition functioning to such an extent that it affects your daily routine and personal life. In most cases, parents with Alzheimer’s couldn’t recognize their children. Moreover, it’s best to stick with the therapy as it has a good chance of improving than a surgical procedure.
That’s why we have mentioned the most effective therapies that ease symptoms and improve the health conditions of Alzheimer’s patients.
Light Therapy
A bright light has a whole spectrum of light with a magnitude of around 5000 Lux to 10,000 LUX aids in a circadian rhythm for patients with Alzheimer’s. Also, patients suffering from a sleep disorder or sleep disruption show huge improvements with exposure to light therapy.
Moreover, regular exposure to bright light therapy benefits in slowing down cognitive deterioration and decreasing depression.
Daily the day and night cycle and other environmental helps support the rhythm synchrony 24 hours per day. The circadian rhythm is considered original to reset by external stimulus.
If there is partial damage in the suprachiasmatic nucleus will cause sleeping scedules to some range. Alzheimer’s patients have other dementia through the contracting of brain parts resulting in sleep disorders than same age healthy people.
However, if patients have an entire disrupture cycle of wake and sleep, that means the suprachiasmatic nucleus is completely damaged.
Sunlight is the natural and best light therapy for Alzheimer’s patients or disrupts the sleep cycle. But, more exposure to the sun is not possible, especially in winters or cold areas plus, people with physical disabilities are not capable of accessing sunlight therapy. The therapeutic benefits of light therapy can really Alzheimer’s patients.
However, we suggest consulting with the doctor or an expert before considering this therapy.
Medicines
Alzheimer’s can be handled by medications, and most doctors have prescribed medicines to improve and help some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors
Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain by decreasing the levels of acetylcholine. It’s vital for alertness, memory, judgment, and thought.
The medicine shows impressive nerve cell results by boosting the acetylcholine amount. It increases the level of acetylcholine, which helps the brain substance nerve cells communicate with each other and stops the brain from breaking down.
However, cholinesterase inhibitors couldn’t prevent Alzheimer’s disease or prevent damage to the nerve cells. As the disease progresses, these medications lose effectiveness because reducing brain cells create less acetylcholine.
However, they are only prescribed by psychiatrists or neurologists and should have the particular expertise in GPs, or an advice GP specialist may also prescribe you.
The doctors will prescribe galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil for the early stages. They have the lite dose of this particular drug and work well for early stages of Alzheimer’s patients. Also, these medicines will be continued in the later, severe stages of Alzheimer’s patients.
However, the effects of each of the three AChE inhibitors are different and work according to the stages. Some patients respond better to the medicines; some suffer from fewer side effects, nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
Plus, if Alzheimer’s patients suffer from cardiac arrhythmias, they should avoid the cholinesterase inhibitors.
Memantine
Memantine medicine is different from AChE inhibitors as it blocks the effects of an excessive amount of chemicals in the brain area glutamate. Moreover, this medicine is approved by the FDA for treating severe Alzheimer’s disease.
Mentone helps to regulate the activity in the brain area called glutamate. This messenger chemical invests in the brain to function widely in learning and memory storage.
It is used to decrease severe Alzheimer’s disease. It’s better for patients suffering from cardiac arrhythmias or other illnesses that won’t allow them to indulge in the AChE inhibitors.
It has some temporary side effects dizziness, headaches, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Common side effects include dizziness, headache, confusion, and agitation.
Alzheimer’s patients taking an AChE inhibitor may also take this medicine, and memantine can be taken as a pill or syrup. But we suggest first to consult it with your doctor.
Most pharmacoeconomics report that memantine treatment is cost effective compared to the patients with no treatment in the early stages. Plus, This treatment is a project with less care expenditure, institutionalization, long time effectiveness, and quality life years.
Namzaric is a combination of donepezil and memantine approved by the FDA. But, it can contain side effects such as headache, dizziness, diarrhea, and nausea.
Cognitive rehabilitation
The trained professionals and occupation therapist helps to work in a group with a friend or relative to achieve a personal goal, for instance, doing everyday tasks and learning to use a device. This therapy works and aids you in using the areas of the brain which can benefit those parts that are not working.
Therapists of Cognitive rehabilitation are becoming available widely to the senior population to check the insidious reduction in functional and cognitive performance.
Due to the contradiction of memory deficits, Patients suffering from disease face difficulty adhering to the cognitive treatments.
Also, Alzheimer’s leads to secondary depression due to a lack of motivation, compromised brain systems, general difficulty doing daily work, distress, cognitive disability of self-awareness, and emotionlessness. Reducing stress can be done in many ways such as relaxation techniques, exercise, and healthy eating.
However, cognitive rehabilitation exercise training is intense labor and is repeatedly reminded regarding the memory disability and specialist practical results.
For effective results on cognitive rehabilitation methods, patients must be sufficiently amused and motivated to begin the rehabilitation program and stay involved in this therapy. unless they get the therapeutic dosage.
Moreover, researchers and clinicians must promote this therapy, as it affects the betterment of the patients by engaging and moderate treatment. Plus, they must observe what else they can add to the cognitive rehabilitation therapies to make them advance and benefit Alzheimer’s patients.
Bottom Line
“Therapy for Alzheimer’s patients” is vital to improving their health. The patient health will automatically improve with extra care, and support from a family member as the brain can recall the memories with that person. Also, caregivers and health volunteers should participate in clinical studies forAlzheimer’s and other dementias.
These therapies show effective results and aid the patient in improving for longer. Researchers have concluded that scientists are now studying various methods to treat Alzheimer’s and its symptoms through therapies and medication.
