Since other studies have shown that there's a pretty strong genetic component to it, too, then the fungus can't be the only thing causing it. Maybe some relation of "If you have this gene, then you're susceptible to this fungus" or some combination like that.
That is exactly what the paper suggests. They say that genetic correlation is absolutely compatible with fungus being the main cause, because the genetic component may consist of being more vulnerable to the fungus. The paper goes through other alternative suggested causes and says the same thing about them. Now the paper may be completely wrong. Just because it is peer reviewed does not make the conclusion correct. But the authors are making the strongest possible claim in the paper: that of all the factors correlated with Alzheimer's fungal infection is the best candidate for core cause. It is not claiming anything approaching certainty - neither the data nor analysis are complete enough. But it does seem to be claiming that given current data and analysis, fungi as predominant cause is the best explanation that fits the know facts to date. [link]
Heat might have to go on this week; Pumpkin did NOT want to get up this morning. I was downstairs an hour and realized she hadn't come down. Sure enough, still in her spot on my bed. And now on my lap, but I need to go do my grocery shopping.
Yeah, Leifur's a bit of a lap cat any day, but since the temperature dipped he's pretty much velcroed himself there.
Even Jackson's been all cuddly the last few days, and he's normally enough-already-with-the-petting.
The onset of my mother's dementia was definitely associated with a series of TIAs, so we weren't expecting the final diagnosis to be Alzheimer's, but that's what the autopsy showed. So I'm now mulling on this fungal infection thing and wondering how all those pieces fit together. Not being a doctor or a neurologist, I am trying not to jump to obvious conclusions but the pieces do seem to fit.
Hive mind, I need your help. For the past 24 hours (and without any clear reason), my hands and scalp have been incredibly itchy. I don't have a visible rash, though there seem to be some bumps. I took Claritan yesterday and two Benedryl before bed last night, but I woke up just as itchy as when I went to bed. I even googled itchy scalp remedies and tried lemon juice and jojoba oil on it last night, which helped for a little bit and then nsm. Has anyone heard of this? What on earth is going on?
That sounds like a trip to urgent care, Pix.
I don't think so. It's just annoying more than anything. I'm wondering if I accidentally took a double dose of my meds yesterday and this is a reaction to that. I think I'm just going to take more Benedryl and give it another day to see if it goes away. I'll make an appointment with my doctor if not. It's just so annoying!
Meds side-effect sounds like a reasonable explanation. Scalp and hands does sound systemic but if it isn't spreading or intensifying waiting to see if it just goes away seems like an okay plan. If it does spread or get worse, please do go to urgent care or an ER, ok?
I learned recently that chronic idiopathic itching is a thing that exists and I am SO GRATEFUL that I am not afflicted with that and hope that your random unexplained itching passes swiftly and without further incident.
I haven't read the paper, but my first thought on the fungal infection theory is that I don't feel like we are really good at getting rid of those. I mean, we have some tools to fight them but it's not like, oh, if it's a fungal infection we totally know how to beat it, is it? I would be glad to be wrong about that.
Last night I dreamt that I was out of laundry detergent (not even that I was trying to do laundry and didn't have any, I just knew I was out and needed to get more. A dream shopping list. Which might be handy if it was accurate, I suppose, but I am not, in fact, out of laundry soap here in eh waking world) and that work was now on a train. Everything else about it exactly the same, but the offices and cubicles were on a train instead of in a building. Made no practical difference to my day. Oh, and I was telling my department head about Sox's book and she told me she couldn't buy it because she had a subscription service that only got her books from one publisher and that wasn't Sox's (I actually did tell her about Sox's book a while back because she thought she might get a copy for her brother, no nonsense about publishing houses in that conversation, though).
I need better dreams.
