By Emily Murray

For those with loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s, waiting for a miracle drug to reverse the damage to the brain seems all they can do. While many medications are currently being tested, researchers and health care professionals advise that all who are diagnosed, stay as mentally active as possible. In fact, keeping the unaffected areas of the brain active can prevent them from the disease for an extended period of time.

Activities like crossword puzzles, reading and even learning a new language can slow the advancement of the disease.

An earlier news story made the surprising announcement that 45% of patients who were treated for Alzheimer’s were never told they had the disease. At a time when transparency in the medical field is expected, many wonder how this could even happen.

The reason may surprise you.

According to the article, many doctors fear telling their patients about their degenerative brain disorder because there currently is no remedy. This news can be incredibly discouraging and may cause more harm than good with the patient already pondering what nursing home they should check in to as a result of their diagnosis.

The truth is, as we age many people suffer from a loss of brain function. While the damage is irreversible currently, we can at least do our part to slow the degeneration by staying as mentally stimulated as we possibly can. The saying “you are only as old as you feel,” might have some real truth here.