Dementia Treatment Options Available

Sep 29
08:19

2011

Andrew Stratton

Andrew Stratton

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What do you do when you notice that your family member isn't up to snuff in the mental arena? Do you visit with your physician or psychologist? There are many dementia treatment options and it might be a combination of things that work best for him/her.

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Losing one's mind,Dementia Treatment Options Available Articles that is a statement that sounds very harsh. It could meant that the person in question has become insane, that's what we say when a person's mental abilities are gone. Unfortunately for some people their mental abilities are not gone temporarily, as in some cases, they are gone for good and actually might get a lot worse before they get better. These people have dementia, treatment is possible but in most cases there is no way to reverse the symptoms they already have. But what are the options available to you?

To understand what dementia treatments are available means that you have to know what this disease is. It is caused by the death of brain cells. This can be because of a stroke, Alzheimer's, reaction to medication, or even injury. Typically it affects older patients although there have been cases of younger patients displaying symptoms. Typically the cell death in these patients is the result of injury or a poor reaction to medication. Very literally these people are losing control of their brains because the cells have lost their ability to communicate one to another.

If you are seeking dementia treatment for movement symptoms, such as those suffering from Parkinson's, then you'll probably be prescribed a medication. This medication will only treat the symptoms that Parkinson's presents. While it will help you control the symptoms that you are experiencing there are medication side-effects that might be worse than the condition itself. If you are suffering from mild symptoms you might talk to your doctor about non-medication treatments to avoid these affects.

Visual hallucinations are a symptom that fall under the dementia treatment regime. For this you will once again be faced with a prescription medication for an antipsychotic drug. Many of these drugs are still experimental but that doesn't mean that you should avoid them. These visual images can be very disturbing and upsetting. They may also help with other psychiatric symptoms you may be suffering from.

Drugs aren't your only option. Support groups can help you and your loved one cope with what is happening in your lives. Speech therapy, for those who suffer from strokes, might be able to help your loved one learn to talk again. This treatment will not only help your loved one to regain the ability to communicate but also help improve the muscles around the mouth and throat which can alleviate swallowing difficulties. Physical and Occupational therapy can help some to regain the motor control this disease has stolen from them.

Whether you and your loved one decide to try medication, or non-medical dementia treatments the important thing to remember is to do something. By not acknowledging and attending to the illness it will only get worse. Even if it adds a few months or a year to your loved one's cognitive abilities it is worth trying something. The first step is to visit with your family doctor to see what your options are.