Impairment in executive functioning is characterized by difficulty in abstract reasoning and in organizing things, schedule, and activities. Patients with this problem give concrete meaning to proverbs. For example, when a patient is asked what “don’t cry over spilled milk” means, patient responds, “It’s easy. Just wipe it!” Moreover, knowing specific similarities and differences of certain things (e.g. apple versus orange) is a struggle for some patients.

What are possible causes of Alzheimer’s?

The cause of Alzheimer is still unknown. However, several risk factors have been identified. One major risk factor is age. The risk of developing dementia increases as our age advances. Older individuals therefore are more at risk. Having said this, Alzheimer’s can also happen to young individuals.

Other important risk factors include presence of apolipoprotein E4 allele, predominance of plaques and tangles in brain, and brain’s impaired cholinergic system.

Is there any successful treatment for Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible so current medications are only geared to slow down deterioration. These acetylcholisterase inhibitors, namely galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil, are aimed at improving cholinergic functioning in brain by inhibiting cholinesterase enzyme. Although initially indicated for mild to moderate dementia, some recent evidence shows that some of these drugs may also benefit patients with moderate to severe dementia. Further studies are warranted to determine its efficacy in this group.

M. H. Dahir – a Pharmaceutical Association Chairman, says in his article ‘The Dangers of Indomethacin’: "If a bacterium is responsible, it is extremely important for doctor to know which specific bug is causing trouble so that he can treat it with right drug. Using a broad-spectrum antibiotic is a cop-out. It is lazy way to do medicine, since it allows doctor to cut out time necessary to do a proper laboratory work-up and diagnosis."

What to do if you get adverse reactions... If, after starting a course of antibiotic treatment, you start to get unusual symptoms, such as fever, nausea, a sudden rash, intense itching, stiffness, severe abdominal pain, or swelling, stop taking antibiotic, and consult your doctor immediately.

The very worst side-effects happen when you are allergic to an antibiotic. Your doctor should be able to provide a non-related antibiotic that won’t produce same adverse reaction.

You can also look for alternative therapies. For example, statistics show that sugar-related product D-Mannose (available from www.sweet-cures.com) is more effective than most antibiotics for majority of urinary tract infections, and it works against antibiotic resistant strains of E.coli – cause of most recurrent cystitis infections. It is also claimed to be totally harmless, even for babies.

And list goes on:

· For throat infections, traditional remedies such as gargling with alcohol are often as effective as any antibiotic.

· Manuka honey from New Zealand, available from most health food stores, is known to kill Helicobacter pylori bug that causes duodenal or stomach ulcers.

· Galangal has been used since times of St. Hildegard of Bingen for catarrh, and it doesn’t give you a dry mouth or other diuretic side-effects like Sudafed.

· Salt water is as good a decongestant as most commercially available nasal sprays.

· Cider vinegar and a diet change can deal with arthritis more efficiently than most drugs, and instead of side-effects, you get healthy.

· For depression, St John’s Wort is non-addictive, unlike Prozac, and there are fewer side-effects.

· Asthmatic or wheezy? Getting a cold? Mix some black cumin seeds with honey and garlic. Used since times of Pharaohs, this is cheaper and more effective than any medical preparation, and won’t cause brain tumours, unlike some of ‘medical’ decongestants available.

The fact is that most of time, no matter what ailment you are suffering from, you can do better than taking standard prescription. And think of money you’ll save health service, and all time you’ll save your doctor.

Oops, sorry to inform you that your operation was unnecessary… Some people are locked into idea that ‘the doctor knows best’, but although this may sometimes be true, medical training often ignores huge legacy of knowledge from folk medicine and from other cultures, which were in use long before fairly recent ‘science’ of medicine came into being. How many surgeons would tell you to take a pint of olive oil and juice of three lemons (slowly or you’ll vomit it back up) to get rid of gallstones? Or would they rather do a bladderectomy?

In same way, most trips to hospital or doctor can be dispensed with.

It is up to ourselves to take charge of our own health. Some solid research can make us experts in our own conditions and allow us to take charge of our own treatment.

---------- More info: John Bremner email: john@bladder--infection.com www.bladder--infection.com +44 (0) 1904-340916