When you're young, you might only think about gray hair and where to retire - but now that's not the case. This disease is on the minds of the aging population, and the affected are held at will while they progress further into a dementia and most likely an early death. It seems that everybody has a relative or knows someone who's affected by Alzheimer's. So what can we do?  First, we need to know what to look for.

In the early stage of Alzheimer’s, memory loss is intermittent and unnoticeable to others around you, making it very important you realize what's going on. The ability to manage Alzheimer's is primarily based off how early your doctor can diagnose you. Once the disease progresses enough and it is starting to disrupt your daily activities, it is time to get help.

As the disease gets worse, Dementia takes over and more symptoms appear affecting not only memory, but recognition, comprehension, and your emotions. In the end, the disease that started with slight memory loss can eventually transcend itself all the way into deadly disease.

Early treatment of Alzheimer's is key, halting the progression of symptoms and brain cell function itself is all we can do. Medications like Aricept, Exelon, Cognex, and Razadyne help stimulate brain function of an Alzheimer’s afflicted patient. Other meds like Namenda work in a different way to help reduce Alzheimer’s based symptoms, and can be used in combination with the previous list of medications in more advanced treatments. When medical treatment is started in the early stage it helps reduce the more advanced symptoms of later stage dementia. Although these meds are costly (because there are no generics available at this time), they are the only medical treatments indicated for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are many things you can do to help improve your brain’s ability to function. 

For example:
1. Staying healthy by exercising and eating right
2. Reading books, newspapers, or magazines
3. Working, volunteering, or actively participating in local organizations
4. And talking to your doctor about anything you’re experiencing

Some of the initial symptoms to look for are:
1. Lapses in recent memory
2. Forgetting the names of people or things
3. Losing track of what you are doing
4. Forgetting to take medication doses

More advanced symptoms include:
1. Forgetting family member names
2. Forgetting long-term memories
3. Not being able to do simple tasks
4. Changes in mood or personality

These are only a list of common symptoms that may affect an Alzheimer's patient and they don't in any way make a diagnosis. Only your doctor can tell if you have Alzheimer's disease. So, if you think you’re at risk, don’t wait. Contact your doctor today.

To contact MedEx for your prescription drug needs, call toll free 1-800-322-2721, or visit MedEx online at www.medexvip.com.