Homeopathy approach in Alzheimer's Disease

Homeopathy approach in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's (AHLZ-high-merz) disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer?s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.
Symptoms-
1. The usual first symptom noticed is short term memory loss which progresses from seemingly simple and often fluctuating forg

etfulness (with which the disease should not be confused) to a more pervasive loss of short-term memory, then of familiar and well-known skills or objects or persons. Since family members are often the first to notice changes that might indicate the onset of the disease they should learn the early warning signs.
2. Aphasia, disorientation and disinhibition often accompany the loss of memory.
3. Alzheimer's disease may also include behavioral changes, such as outbursts of violence or excessive passivity in people who have no previous history of such behavior.
4  In the later stages, deterioration of musculature and mobility, leading to bedfastness, inability to feed oneself, and incontinance, will be seen if death from some external cause (e.g. heart attack or pneumonia) does not intervene.
5. Average duration of the disease is approximately 7?10 years, although cases are known where reaching the final stage occurs within 4?5 years, or in some reported cases up to 21 years.

Stages-

·         Mild - At the early stage of the disease, patients have a tendency to become less energetic or spontaneous, though changes in their behavior often go unnoticed even by the patients' immediate family. This stage of the disease has also been termed Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) although this term remains somewhat controversial.

·         Moderate - As the disease progresses to the middle stage, the patient might still be able to perform tasks independently, but may need assistance with more complicated activities.

·         Severe - As the disease progresses from the middle to late stage, the patient will undoubtedly not be able to perform even the simplest of tasks on their own and will need constant supervision. They become incontinent of bladder and then incontinent of bowel. They will eventually lose the ability to walk and eat without assistance. Language becomes severely disorganized, and then is lost altogether. They may eventually lose the ability to swallow food and fluid and this can ultimately lead to death.

Risk factors-

·         Advancing age

·         ApoE epsilon 4 genotype (in some populations)

·         Head injury.

·         Poor cardiovascular health (including smoking, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and strokes) 

 Remedies-

1. Baryta Carbonica [Baryta Carb]

Specially indicated in infancy and old age. Loss of memory, mental weakness. Irresolute. Lost confidence in himself. Senile dementia. Confusion. Bashful. Aversion to strangers. Childish; grief over trifles. Diseases of old men when degenerative changes begin;-cardiac vascular and cerebral;-who have hypertrophied prostate or indurated testes, very sensitive to cold, offensive foot-sweats, very weak and weary, must sit or lie down or lean on something.

2. Anacardium Orientale [Anac]

The Anacardium patient is found mostly among the neurasthenics; such have a type of nervous dyspepsia, relieved by food; impaired memory, depression, and irritability; diminution of senses (smell, sight, hearing). They have fixed ideas with hallucinations; thinks he is possessed of two persons or wills. Anxiety when walking, as if pursued. Profound melancholy and hypochondriasis, with tendency to use violent language. Impaired memory. Absent mindedness. Very easily offended. Malicious; seems bent on wickedness. Lack of confidence in himself or others. Suspicious. Clairaudient, hears voices far away or of the dead. Senile dementia. Absence of all moral restraint.

3. Plumbum Metallicum [Plumb Met]

The points of attack for Plumbum are the neuraxons and the anterior horn cells. Mental depression with Fear of being assassinated. Quiet melancholy. Slow perception; loss of memory; amnesic aphasia. Hallucinations and delusions. Intellectual apathy. Memory impaired

4. Cannabis Indica [Cann Ind]

Inhibits the higher faculties and stimulates the imagination to a remarkable degree without any marked stimulation of the lower or animal instinct. A condition of intense exaltation, in which all perceptions and conceptions, all sensations and all emotions are exaggerated to the utmost degree. Excessive loquacity with exuberance of spirits. Time seems too long; seconds seem ages; a few rods an immense distance. Constantly theorizing. Constant fear of becoming insane. Very forgetful; cannot finish sentence. Is lost in delicious thought. Uncontrollable laughter. Clairvoyance. Emotional excitement with rapid change of mood. Cannot realize her identity, chronic vertigo as of floating off.

5. Bufo Rana [Bufo]

Acts on the nervous system and skin. Of use in feeble-minded people Prematurely senile. Anxious about health. Sad and restless. Howling; impatient; nervous; imbecile. Desire for solitude. 

6. Picricum Acidum [Picric Acid]

Lack of will-power; disinclined to work. Cerebral softening. Dementia with prostration, sits still and listless.

 some more useful medicine

• Nux Vom – disposition to find fault with everything and every body; extreme sensitiveness to the words and attention of others, inclination to kill his best friends; wants to commit suicide but is too cowardly to do so; very irritable, quarrelsome, vindictive.

• Mercurius – complete loss of all sense of decency; filthy in body with groveling mentality; great weakness of memory; impaired vision; foul breath; heavy coated tongue.

• Ignatia – extreme mental sensitiveness due to grief, disappointment in love affairs.

• Calcaria Carb – complete lack of development of brain and other organs with forgetfulness. Slowness and inability to acquire knowledge.

• Lycopodium – great depression of spirits; despondent; worried about his salvation; about being able to perform his duties; about passing in examination, fretful, irritable, morose, very vehement and angry. Constipation, eructations of sour food.

• Staphisagria – sleeplessness. Coward with shamefulness, disgust, humiliation, despair, shyness with desire for solitude.

• Chamomilla – sensitiveness; irritability, peevishness; very easily angered and suffers profoundly as a result thereof.

• Terentula His – rages over something and throws whatever in hand and whatever he could reach. On slightest contradiction or objection he will hit the person with whatever he can get hold of.

Allopathic treatment for Alzheimer’s disease – mainly include antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs.
Other natural and alternative methods – mainly include zinkgo biloba,  AyurvedIc medications , yoga, folate, olive oil,  vitamin D, avoidance of alcohol, low calorie diet etc