Treating Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia with Medical Marijuana
Alzheimer’s Disease and the related condition, dementia, can be an intimidating prospect as we age, impacting our families as well as ourselves. These complex conditions involve any number of frustrating symptoms, including insomnia, anxiety, and more. For seniors in Virginia, getting a medical marijuana card is increasingly one of the most effective ways to address these disorders, providing relief from symptoms and making everyone’s life just a bit easier!
Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Which is Which?
Alzheimer’s and dementia are often conflated, and it can be difficult for many of us to understand what distinguishes these two conditions from one another. In short, dementia is a generalized term used to describe the changes in cognition and executive functioning that begin to interfere with quality of life as we age.
Alzheimer’s is the most common trigger of dementia, impacting an estimated 11.3 percent of the 65+ population in the US, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The majority of those impacted are women. Medical marijuana is helping women with a range of other conditions already, and more and more seniors have been turning to medical marijuana as a whole for some time now. Using it to treat dementia is yet another way in which this natural remedy can transform lives!
What are the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia?
Symptoms can vary from one person to the next. As a general guideline, the following are some common symptoms you and your family may have to deal with as dementia progresses:
· Difficulty retaining new details and information
· Disorientation and associated confusion about time and place
· Changes in mood and behavior
· Heightened paranoia and suspicions about friends and family
· Significant memory loss
· Difficulty with speech, walking, and swallowing
In addition to these symptoms, individuals with different forms of dementia may experience heightened stress, depression and anxiety. Medical marijuana can help with many of these symptoms, giving seniors more restful days and making care management easier for friends, family, and professional caregivers!
How Medical Marijuana Can Help
Studies have shown that medical marijuana can help with many of the symptoms you may experience as dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease progresses.
With Alzheimer’s in particular, certain proteins and compounds in the brain hasten the onslaught of symptoms. Medical marijuana, it’s believed by many experts, can step in to slow down the production and even remove specific proteins to reduce the disease-triggering compounds. Maybe more importantly, cannabis does this naturally, giving families a holistic alternative to many mainstream pharmaceuticals.
Comorbid Conditions: Relief With Medical Marijuana!
Medical marijuana is a multi-tasker, too— just the thing you want with such complex disorders. Cannabis can help with many of the conditions that are comorbid with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, including insomnia, anxiety and depression. With all of this, it’s easy to see why so many seniors are using medical marijuana in the Commonwealth today!
Senior-Friendly Medical Marijuana Products
Smoking medical marijuana is not always the best option with seniors, whether due to stress on the lungs or the complexities of delivering a dose. There are, however, a lot of products out there that are senior-friendly and can make administration of cannabis easier, even in individuals with dementia.
Edibles are one of the simplest methods for administering medical marijuana. These gummies are easier to consume than pills and won’t intimidate a patient with dementia. Another option you can consider are tinctures that can be taken orally. These drops are easily administered under the tongue. Whichever option you consider, the result will be relief from an array of symptoms associated with these conditions!
An added bonus? Medical marijuana is also a great analgesic, giving you a way to treat the chronic pain that can come with age. Topicals applied to the skin can assuage body pain, as can edibles and tinctures a patient takes to treat dementia symptoms. A real win for seniors!
Get Your VA Marijuana Card for Alzheimer's and Dementia Now!
Seniors dealing with dementia have a healing, all-natural solution to turn to in the form of medical marijuana. Whether you or your senior are experiencing core symptoms of these disorders or symptoms associated with a comorbid condition, cannabis can help! Our compassionate and informed experts can help you make the right choices for your health that integrate well with your lifestyle.
Schedule an appointment with an online medical marijuana doctor in Virginia today, to start gaining access to safe, legal cannabis products, including tinctures, flower, concentrates and more.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Virginia Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness
safely and conveniently through increased access to MMJ. Our focus on
education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by
providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (888) 633-5808, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Virginia Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information.
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