The woes of Alzheimer’s patients
An article by
Dr Asghar Ali Shah
Homeopathic Physician
Published in The News International on July 03, 2012
As many as 35 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and it is the fifth leading cause of death. Death rate from this disease between 2000 and 2006 was 46%.
Statistics alone, however, cannot describe the pain inflicted upon humanity by the Alzheimer’s disease. The friends and members of the family of a patient do also suffer though they cannot imagine the helplessness the patients experience and the ordeal they go through.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by impairment of memory causing disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception.
Some kind of memory loss is normal part of aging but it is not severe enough to interfere with the level of function. Different diseases can cause dementia or memory loss but Alzheimer’s is the most common cause for it. Studies have shown that persons with depression and coexistent cognitive (thinking, memory) impairment are highly likely to have an underlying dementia when followed for several years.
The reaction of an Alzheimer’s disease patient to the illness and his or her capacity to cope with it also vary, and may depend on such factors as lifelong personality patterns and the nature and severity of stress in the immediate environment. Depression, severe uneasiness, paranoia, or delusions may accompany or result from the disease.
Many scientists think that Alzheimer’s disease results from an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death. There is also a genetic risk for late onset cases. A relatively common form of a gene located on chromosome 19 is associated with late onset Alzheimer’s disease. In the majority of Alzheimer’s disease cases, however, no specific genetic risks have yet been identified.
Conventional medicine offers no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and it only tries to alleviate some of the sufferings. Non-medication based treatments include maximising patients’ opportunities for social interaction and participating in activities such as walk and sports. Cognitive rehabilitation, (whereby a patient practices on a computer programme for training memory), may or may not be of benefit.
As an earlier sign, Alzheimer’s damages mental functions — memory, perception, emotions and the ability to take decisions. One may feel difficulty in performing even daily routine work where mental performance is required. The patient starts getting losing his way even on familiar routes.
Homoeopathy takes each Alzheimer’s patient as an individual case. There is no single specific remedy for all the cases of Alzheimer’s. The correct homeopathic treatment involves deep evaluation of the mind and emotions. After taking the case history, a suitable medicine called the principle remedy is selected for the patient. The principal remedy begins the healing process which is followed by a careful follow up.
It seems relevant to describe here an Alzheimer’s case treated by this writer. The successful treatment of Saleem Bakhtiar Qazi, retired Additional Inspector General of Police, is also a manifestation of the efficacy of homeopathy. Qazi was diagnosed as an Alzheimer’s patient and had been under treatment of some renowned physicians for many years. Qazi’s daughter Mrs. Khurrum and son-in-law Air Commodore Khurrum explained his case history which had the classical signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Qazi’s wife during her protracted illness had remained bedridden for a long period of time. All members of the family remained engaged in looking after her. Qazi sahib, during the course of the illness of his wife, had the impression that he was being ignored by the family and started showing the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Shortly after the death of his wife a rapid change in his behaviour was noticed. He started showing unusual anger and impatience along with disorientation. He would remain in a very low spirits, flat mood, and indolent. Sometimes situation would become very embarrassing when he failed to find the proper words during his speech or was unable to pronounce words correctly. He had no control over urine and it would dribble unconsciously while sitting or walking.
Shortly after the homeopathic treatment was started Qazi sahib started showing improvement and by the grace of Allah within a few months he was perfectly all right.
Dr Asghar Ali Shah
Homeopathic Physician
Published in The News International on July 03, 2012
As many as 35 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and it is the fifth leading cause of death. Death rate from this disease between 2000 and 2006 was 46%.
Statistics alone, however, cannot describe the pain inflicted upon humanity by the Alzheimer’s disease. The friends and members of the family of a patient do also suffer though they cannot imagine the helplessness the patients experience and the ordeal they go through.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by impairment of memory causing disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception.
Some kind of memory loss is normal part of aging but it is not severe enough to interfere with the level of function. Different diseases can cause dementia or memory loss but Alzheimer’s is the most common cause for it. Studies have shown that persons with depression and coexistent cognitive (thinking, memory) impairment are highly likely to have an underlying dementia when followed for several years.
The reaction of an Alzheimer’s disease patient to the illness and his or her capacity to cope with it also vary, and may depend on such factors as lifelong personality patterns and the nature and severity of stress in the immediate environment. Depression, severe uneasiness, paranoia, or delusions may accompany or result from the disease.
Many scientists think that Alzheimer’s disease results from an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death. There is also a genetic risk for late onset cases. A relatively common form of a gene located on chromosome 19 is associated with late onset Alzheimer’s disease. In the majority of Alzheimer’s disease cases, however, no specific genetic risks have yet been identified.
Conventional medicine offers no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and it only tries to alleviate some of the sufferings. Non-medication based treatments include maximising patients’ opportunities for social interaction and participating in activities such as walk and sports. Cognitive rehabilitation, (whereby a patient practices on a computer programme for training memory), may or may not be of benefit.
As an earlier sign, Alzheimer’s damages mental functions — memory, perception, emotions and the ability to take decisions. One may feel difficulty in performing even daily routine work where mental performance is required. The patient starts getting losing his way even on familiar routes.
Homoeopathy takes each Alzheimer’s patient as an individual case. There is no single specific remedy for all the cases of Alzheimer’s. The correct homeopathic treatment involves deep evaluation of the mind and emotions. After taking the case history, a suitable medicine called the principle remedy is selected for the patient. The principal remedy begins the healing process which is followed by a careful follow up.
It seems relevant to describe here an Alzheimer’s case treated by this writer. The successful treatment of Saleem Bakhtiar Qazi, retired Additional Inspector General of Police, is also a manifestation of the efficacy of homeopathy. Qazi was diagnosed as an Alzheimer’s patient and had been under treatment of some renowned physicians for many years. Qazi’s daughter Mrs. Khurrum and son-in-law Air Commodore Khurrum explained his case history which had the classical signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Qazi’s wife during her protracted illness had remained bedridden for a long period of time. All members of the family remained engaged in looking after her. Qazi sahib, during the course of the illness of his wife, had the impression that he was being ignored by the family and started showing the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Shortly after the death of his wife a rapid change in his behaviour was noticed. He started showing unusual anger and impatience along with disorientation. He would remain in a very low spirits, flat mood, and indolent. Sometimes situation would become very embarrassing when he failed to find the proper words during his speech or was unable to pronounce words correctly. He had no control over urine and it would dribble unconsciously while sitting or walking.
Shortly after the homeopathic treatment was started Qazi sahib started showing improvement and by the grace of Allah within a few months he was perfectly all right.
