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The Truth About Your Memory And Alzheimer’s
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One of the most serious diseases plaguing our country today is Alzheimer’s. It’s bad enough that as we get older we begin to forget simple facts, the names of people we have known for years, and the simplest day-to-day operations. It is now time to separate the truth about Alzheimer’s from the myths that many people believe about this disease.
Alzheimer’s only starts in people who are older
While Alzheimer’s does affect more people that are older than young people, there are about 200,000 people who have early onset memory loss. To date, more than 5.2 million people over the age of 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. There are people who are as young as 30, 40, or 50 who have the beginnings of Alzheimer’s.
People get Alzheimer’s because of the use of aluminum
More and more people started to blame the use of aluminum products on items that were used in the 1960s and 1970s. People were actually blaming the use of soda cans, antiperspirants, pots and pans, and even antacids that all had some form of aluminum in them as a major cause of Alzheimer’s. Since all of the research there has been no evidence that aluminum has anything to do with contracting Alzheimer’s disease.
Losing your memory is just a normal part of getting older
While there is no disputing that you do lose some of your memory as you get older, Alzheimer’s is an entirely different kind of memory loss. The disease results in the malfunction and final death of many brain cells. As this occurs, people find they are unable to remember where they lived for many years or the name of a lifelong friend. Many times, it is hard to tell what is a sudden memory loss and what is the more serious loss from Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association has created a way for you to be able to determine the difference between the two. You should consult your doctor if you feel it is serious. It could also be the side effects of a new medication or even a vitamin deficiency. Some of these situations can be checked out and reversed with the right treatment.
Alzheimer’s disease does not kill its victims
While many people think that Alzheimer’s is just a little condition that robs you of your memory, ultimately it kills off brain cells, resulting in major memory loss and bringing about erratic behaviors. A person will ultimately lose their bodily functions — the patient is left unable to eat on their own, speak, walk, or even find the way to their home.
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You can get Alzheimer’s from the artificial sweetener aspartame
After considering aluminum as the cause of Alzheimer’s, many people were also starting to blame aspartame, an artificial sweetener. This substance was known as Equal or NutraSweet and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1996. The group conducted more than 100 clinical studies as well as lab tests and could not find any association between aspartame and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Getting a flu shot increases your chances of getting Alzheimer’s
Another situation that was cleared as a way of getting Alzheimer’s was getting a yearly flu shot. A physician in South Carolina lost his license due to his stance on this matter. The truth came out that your chances of getting Alzheimer’s after getting a vaccination or flu shot was actually much lower than if you hadn’t gotten the flu shot. Two other documented studies also reached the same conclusions, and the results were published in medical journals in 2001 and 2004.
The silver dental fillings in your mouth raise your chances of getting Alzheimer’s
Because fillings for teeth were made up of silver, many people were trying to say that they were the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. People felt that the link was caused by the fact that the fillings were made up of around 50% mercury, 35% silver and the last 15% was from tin. Mercury was found to be a toxic metal that affects the brain and other organs. Several medical agencies proved that silver dental fillings had absolutely no correlation to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The Dental Devices Panel of the FDA, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health all confirmed that there was no association between the fillings and the disease.
READ ALSO: Debunking Myths: What You Know About Alzheimer’s Disease May Be False Infographic
There are actually medications that can slow down Alzheimer’s
There are medications that are able to reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s, but there are no known cures for the disease. Some drugs that have been approved have been shown to slow down on the symptoms for anywhere from six to 12 months.
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