Dementia and Alzheimers

[Alinta]

Mum died from Alzheimers so have a vested interest in current information BO.......further comments after I've closely read your links. Thanks.

[cods]

is it a growing problem or is that just my imagination?.. it seem to me everyone you meet or know has someone in their family or circle of friends...

it is a shocker.. the celebs we hear about its usually well advanced... but I have known people to last for 10 years and they recognise no one from their families..... its so cruel because it not only chips away at the life of the patient but everyone around them

[Black Orchid]

I am not convinced they really know much about it at all. My Mother had Alzheimers but they also called it Dementia. So what was it?

She always recognised me and my sons but she could not remember what she said or did 5 mins ago. She would say the same things over and over and over. It was frustrating and heart breaking. She could, however, clearly remember her childhood vividly and it went on for 15 years plus.

[Alinta]

With mum, the terms Alzheimers and Dementia seemed to used interchangeably.

Initially mum just seemed to be in her own little world from time to time, a bit forgetful, but that was about it. She had a fall and broke her hip.......two operations that didn't mend and a third to replace her hip. From there she went downhill fast. We were later told the anaesthesia was a significant factor.

She always recognised us.......talked for maybe 5 mins (made some sense, but mostly not), then sat in silence for the visit's duration. I'd always take my cocker spaniel "Maille" with me...........she didn't see Maille, she "recognised "Elke", my spaniel who had died 20 years prior. The nurses told me patients often regress to earlier, perhaps happy, times in their lives.

[Outlaw Yogi]

Don't know much (if anything) on dementia per se, but have always figured Alzheimers ("Old Timers") leads to or is a form of dementia.

No guarantees, but there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of developing Alzheimers.
#1 Avoid contact (as much as is practicle) with neurotoxins like mercury, lead and aluminium.
Most thermometers contain alcohol rather than mercury these days, so that one's easy even if you are heavy handed with delicate glass items. Old weatherboard houses peeling paint from the pre 80s (70s and before) is a potential risk if you breath particles. Give your aluminium pots and pans to Vinnies ect so the poor can have them, 'coz they're usually stupid anyway and get yer self stainless steel ones.

#2 Avoid food items containing Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Glutamate is a necessary neurotransmitter and the molecule is large enough to be blocked by barriers/filters to certain parts of the brain. MSG is small enough to pass those barriers and so causes excitotoxicity - literally excites brain neurons for no good reason, so will probably keep you awake or cause hayfever.
Everything organic has a life span, so if you're exciting brain neurons for no good reason, you're just burning them out for nothing.

MSG is a perfectly natural substance ... but too much of a good thing y'know ....
Soy beans (especially) mushrooms and tomatoes are all naturally high in MSG content.
Although with soy products, despite the naturally high MSG content, manufacturers add more to cover the foul taste of the bean extracts.

Y'know how fish/sea foods are referred to as "brain food"? ... Well it's true. The brain requires zinc and iodine to function properly and sea food are the richest sources of both ... so do yer brain a favour and chow down on some slippery, scaley, smelly critters.

[Super Nova]

#1 Avoid contact (as much as is practicle) with neurotoxins like mercury, lead and aluminium.

I know this one but my mother used Aluminium pots all our childhood. They ended up with big pits at the bottom of the pans so I assume we consumed a lot of it. Have not used them since I met my wife but continued to use them when I left home, not kownign any netter.

Too late for me, who at you again.

Anyone else experience this?

[Neferti]

I always thought that IF you had a close relative die from Alzheimers you had a fair chance of getting this yourself. In other words it is genetic.

Risk Factors

Those who have a parent, brother or sister with Alzheimer's are more likely to develop the disease. The risk increases if more than one family member has the illness. When diseases tend to run in families, either heredity (genetics) or environmental factors, or both, may play a role.

Scientists have identified factors that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. The most important risk factors—age, family history and heredity—can't be changed, but emerging evidence suggests there may be other factors we can influence.

Age

The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age. Most individuals with the disease are 65 and older. One in nine people in this age group and nearly one-third of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s.

Aluminum not a cause

During the 1960s and 1970s, aluminum emerged as a possible suspect in causing Alzheimer’s disease. This suspicion led to concerns about everyday exposure to aluminum through sources such as cooking pots, foil, beverage cans, antacids and antiperspirants. Since then, studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s. Almost all scientists today focus on other areas of research, and few experts believe that everyday sources of aluminum pose any threat.

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_ ... actors.asp

[lisa jones]

It's a very sad thing and way too many people are taken advantage of whilst in its throes. My Mother had dementia but she was almost 94 when she died.

I hope it isn't hereditary in this instance.

You were lucky BO. Your mum made it to (almost) 94. That's a good innings in my books.

My mum didn't make it to 70.

Was your mum with it for many years?

My mum had it for 5 years.

It was like a progressive allergic affliction/physical entrapment process for her.....and the poor woman was fighting it (and us) all the way. Her MRI scans told us the sad story. I couldn't bare watching her slowly deteriorate before my eyes. But I did my best to make things ok for her.

A very physically and emotionally exausting time for all of us really.

[lisa jones]

#1 Avoid contact (as much as is practicle) with neurotoxins like mercury, lead and aluminium.

I know this one but my mother used Aluminium pots all our childhood. They ended up with big pits at the bottom of the pans so I assume we consumed a lot of it. Have not used them since I met my wife but continued to use them when I left home, not knowing any netter.

Too late for me, who at you again.

Anyone else experience this?

I think you're on the right track SN.

Too many bloody chemicals about.

Mum and I used to talk about this when she was 1st diagnosed.

And get this.....NOT ONE PERSON IN HER LARGE FAMILY HAS EVER HAD DEMENTIA.

AND I DOUBLE CHECKED THIS OUT TOO.

WE'RE TALKING ALL 9 MUM'S BROTHERS/SISTERS AND ALL THEIR FAMILIES PLUS ALL HER GRAND PARENTS AND GREAT GRAND PARENTS AND AUNTS/UNCLES.

ONLY MY MUM.

HEREDITY????

NO WAY!

[Outlaw Yogi]

#1 Avoid contact (as much as is practicle) with neurotoxins like mercury, lead and aluminium.

I know this one but my mother used Aluminium pots all our childhood. They ended up with big pits at the bottom of the pans so I assume we consumed a lot of it. Have not used them since I met my wife but continued to use them when I left home, not kownign any netter.

Too late for me, who at you again.

Anyone else experience this?

Well as a metal spinner [lathe work] the most common metal I came in contact with was aluminium, so I'll probably wind up bat shit crazy too.

NB: Forgot a bit on aluminium .... typical supermarket table salt eg Saxa table salt has the anti-caking agent 554 added.
554 is aluminio-silicate aka white mica .... an old bloke who was gold mining his cattle lease not far from my place died about 8 years ago with brain cancer.
Before his death he believed someone was injecting his oranges (2 orange trees in stock yard) with poison.
Clearly he knew he was sick, but not what his ailment was nor the effect it had on him.
When I was exploring his 2000 acre lease after his death I noticed this silvery white flakes of material in nearly all the rocks in the creek, which turned out to be white mica (aluminio-silicate) and realised drinking the creek water gave him brain cancer and sent him bonkers.

Generally I buy sea salt (meant for cattle - from rural produce stores) which is much cheaper than supermarket salt, or rock salt from whoever's got it.
Once upon a time I was buying 'cooking salt' but in recent years that has the anti-caking agent 554 added too.