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Old age’s dilemma: Dementia & Alzheimer’s disease Ignorance is bliss until something directly affects us or our loved ones. And same is the case with the progressive old age conditions of Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Although it may be a shocker to many, Alzheimer’s is officially the sixth largest killer disease in the United States of America. When one in three senior citizens in United States is dying from Alzheimer’s today, what are the odds that it can’t and won’t directly affect you or your loved ones? Pretty odd I believe! And that is why, it is imperative to know the exact impact of the disease in a patient’s life and the life of the care givers. Is dementia or Alzheimer’s one and the same thing? No it isn’t. A general term for memory loss in old age, ‘dementia’ is a term more people are acquainted with. Although not used interchangeably, dementia and Alzheimer’s are two closely related progressive diseases. As Alzheimer’s accounts for 50-80% of dementia-affected population, it is safe to say that Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia today. What are the common symptoms associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s condition? At a general level, both the conditions have a direct impact on patient’s memory and behaviour. The classic irritant in successful diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is it slow pace. Normally confused with aging process, it is a dilemma for medical professionals to pin point the exact stage and its effect on a patient. Prevalent in an age group of above 65 years, more and more awareness is what is needed at this point of time. Is it true that Alzheimer’s has no cure? The bad news is it is at this point of time an incurable condition. And slow degeneration of mental and physical faculties is what we’re looking at. But with ongoing advancements in research, a breakthrough can be seen on the horizon. Is medical marijuana a final answer to the incurable Alzheimer’s? If we go by the successful research presented by The Scripps Research Institute and other such reports, there’s an affirmation of the curability of Alzheimer’s condition. In this context, the recent decision of opening up of federal markets for medical marijuana in Canada is a step in right direction for millions who suffer from this incurable condition. In time to come, Canadians who use medical marijuana are going to purchase it through government regulated growers, thereby, assuring a secure route for the much debated plant.
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