The mysterious nature of Alzheimer’s disease challenges patients and doctors alike. According to conventional medicine, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is a death sentence. This is tragic, given that Alzheimer’s disease affects almost 50 million people worldwide and is spreading rapidly. Fortunately, Paracelsus has developed a unique approach to Alzheimer’s that harnesses the power of the brain’s cellular metabolism. Our methods allow us to slow or even arrest the progress of the disease, and significantly improve the patient’s longevity and quality of life.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of neurodegenerative dementia that slowly destroys brain cells and tissues. This leads to the breakdown of the connection between neurons and the brain, thereby limiting the function of neurotransmitter cells. Neurotransmitters carry messages between various parts of the brain, and from the brain to muscles and organs throughout the body.
Common features of the brain tissues of an Alzheimer’s patient include amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which are protein aggregates recognized as a primary marker of the disease. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include loss of memory, thinking capacity, language and bodily functions.
There are three distinct stages of the disease, which can progress at different speeds depending on the individual.
- Preclinical: No significant clinical symptoms; imperceptible changes within the brain
- Mild Cognitive Impairment: Noticeable memory problems that do not necessarily compromise independence or quality of life
- Alzheimer’s Dementia: Significant cognitive decline that affects reasoning, language, vision, and spatial awareness
Conventional medicine recognizes no cause for Alzheimer’s, though there is much speculation and research. A leading theory is that it is a natural consequence of aging; however, this ignores the fact that the rate of Alzheimer’s varies dramatically from one country to another. The standard of care in treatment is the drug donepezil hydrochloride, but it only delays the progression of symptoms, sometimes by just months. At Paracelsus we take a very different approach, using holistic treatments that are anchored in the principles of biological medicine. We believe that there is no single cause, treatment, or cure for Alzheimer’s. Instead, successful therapy requires dealing with the multifactorial nature of the disease and the disturbance of the cellular milieu in the brain. Our patients are treated to a pathology-specific approach that is tailored to the individual.
There has been growing recent scientific support for a position we have long advocated – that inflammation and free radical activity in the brain directly contribute to all neurodegenerative diseases. Compared to other bodily tissues, neural cells are significantly more susceptible and sensitive to oxidative stress. Cells in the brain, spinalmarrow and autonomic nervous system belong to a small subset of neural cells that cannot regenerate. Inevitably, these cells are damaged by normal life – injury, illness, toxins, aging, and oxidative damage. The resulting neural damage and inflammation give rise to the clinical signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Paracelsus approach aims to reduce oxidative stress through an intensive regimen of natural antioxidants, which drastically reduces plaque formation and neural damage. In addition, we include detoxify the body to remove pro-inflammatory chemicals. This therapy focuses on heavy metal detox which removes, among other things, excessive amounts of aluminum – the single most aggravating factor in the spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases.
Our third effort is to rebuild intestinal health as the foundation of the immune system. This comprehensive approach to wellness through anti-inflammatory treatments has been incredibly successful in slowing or stopping neurodegenerative disease. Patients’ symptoms, longevity and quality of life improve markedly.