Alzheimer’s disease is a condition in which the death of brain cells causes cognitive decline and memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia. Dementia is a vast term for conditions caused by diseases or brain injuries that negatively affect behavior, memory, and thinking. These alteration interfere with our daily life.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 of dementia cases. Many people get a diagnosis after the age 65. If it’s diagnosed earlier then, it’s referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s disease.There’s no recovery for Alzheimer’s, but there are treatments and medication for Alzheimer’s that can slow the growth of the disease.
Alzheimer’s vs Dementia
The terms “Alzheimer’s” and “dementia” are often used interchangeably. But these two conditions aren’t the same. Alzheimer’s is a progressive type of dementia.
Dementia is a vast term for conditions relating to memory loss such as confusion and forgetfulness. Dementia includes conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and others, which can cause the symptoms of memory loss.
Summary
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease both are not same. Both are often interchangeable. Dementia is a term for conditions relating to memory loss.
Stages Of Alzhiemer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease have stages that range from mild to severe. The disease ranges from a state of mild deterioration, through to moderate deterioration, before reaching severe deterioration.
Here we discuss the stages of Alzheimer’s disease with the symptoms that characterized them
Mild Alzhiemer’s disease
People having mild Alzheimer’s disease develop cognitive difficulties and memory problems that may include the following:
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experiencing behavior and personality changes
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difficulty in paying the bills or handling money
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Getting lost when go outside
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taking more time than usual to complete the daily tasks.
Moderate Alzhiemer’s disease
In moderate Alzheimer’s disease, the areas of the brain responsible for reasoning, senses, consciousness, and language, and are damaged. This can cause the following symptoms:
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Memory loss and confusion is greater
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Complications in recognizing family or friends.
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Impulsive Behavior
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Difficulty in performing different tasks such as getting read for school
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Difficulty handling with new problems and situations
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Difficulty in learning new things.
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Paranoia, delusions or hallucinations
Severe Alzhiemer’s disease
Tangles and plagues are present throughout the brain in severe Alzheimer’s disease causing the brain tissue to shrink. This can cause:
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Most or all of the time being unable to leave the bed
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dependency on others for care
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Difficulty in communication
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease ranges from mild to severe. There is mild, moderate and severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a ongoing disease, in which the symptoms get worse with the passage of time. Memory loss is one of the first symptoms to develop.
The symptoms show up slowly, over months or years. A person may require medical attention, If the symptoms develop over hours or days, as this could shows a stroke
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are:
Cognitive Deficits:
A person may experience complications with complex tasks, judgement and reasoning. This can cause:
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Difficulty with paying bills or money.
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Difficulty in making decisions about daily life
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A decreased understanding of risks and safety
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Complications in completing tasks that have different stages, such as getting ready or dressed
Memory loss
A person may have difficulty in remembering information and in taking new information. This can cause:
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Forgetting about appointments or events
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Roaming or getting lost
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Repeating conversations or questions
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Losing things
How to improve the memory?
Here it is essential to know how to improve the memory.. Here are some evidence-based ways to improve your memory naturally.
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Eat Less Added Sugar
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Try a Fish Oil Supplement
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Make Time for Meditation
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Maintain a Healthy Weight
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Get Enough Sleep
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Practice Mindfulness
Problems with writing, speaking and reading
A person may develop complications with thinking of simple words, or they make more, spelling, writing, or speech mistakes .
Problems with spatial awareness
A person may spill things more often, or they may have difficulty in completing tasks that have different stages such as getting dressed.
Problems with recognition
A person may have difficulty in recognizing objects or faces and may become less able to use the basic tools. These problems are not due to the issues of eyesight.
Behavior or personality changes
A person may experience alterations in behavior and personality that include:
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A loss of emotions
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Obsessive, socially inappropriate or compulsive behavior
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Becoming angry, worried or upset more than before
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A loss of interest in activities they often enjoy
Summary
The symptoms of Alzheimer disease include: difficulty in performing tasks and difficulty in handling money etc.
Early Onset Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s affects people with the age of 65 years and older. But it can occur in people as early as in the age of 40s or 50s. This is called younger onset, or early onset Alzheimer’s. Early onset Alzheimer’s affects about 5 percent of all people with the situation
Symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s include trouble concentrating, finishing everyday tasks or mild memory loss . It can be difficult to find the correct words. Mild vision problems can also occur. Some people are at more risk of developing this condition.
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease occurs mostly in the people with age 65. But it can also occur at the age of 40 or 50.
Causes
Alzheimer’s disease like all kinds of dementia develops due to the death of brain cells. This is a neurodegenerative condition, which means that death of the brain cells occurs over time.
In People with Alzheimer’s disease, the tissues of brain has fewer and fewer connections, tiny deposit and nerve cells known as tangles and plagues, grow on the nerve tissue.
Plaques form between the brain cells that are dying. They are made from protein beta-amyloid.The tangles occur within the nerve cells. They are made from protein, tau
Scientists and researcher do not fully comprehend why these alterations happen. Various factors may be involved.
The Alzheimer’s Association have composed a visual guide to indicate what occurs in the process of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease develop due to the death of brain cells. Alzheimer’s patient have fewer and fewer brain cell.
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, a person will be experiencing cognitive decline, behavioral changes or memory loss, that are affecting their ability to function properly in their daily life.
Family and friends may feel the symptoms of dementia before the person themselves.
Alzheimer’s disease have not a single test. If a doctor examines the presence of the condition, they will ask the person and sometimes their friends or family about their experiences, medical history and symptoms
The doctor may also take out the following tests:
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Urine or blood tests
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Neurological function tests, to test their senses, reflexes and balance.
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Memory and cognitive tests assess the person’s ability to remember and think.
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Gene testing
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A MRI scan or of the brain
Assessment tools are available to judge cognitive function.
Genetic testing may be true in some cases as the symptoms of dementia can be linked to an inherited condition.Few forms of the APOE e4 gene are linked with a greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Testing for concerning genes initially could shows the likelihood of someone having the condition. Though the test is doubtable, and the results are not completely true.
Summary
For to diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease the patient may experience memory loss ad cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s disease have not a single test.
Alzheimer’s Test
There’s no specific test for Alzheimer’s disease. But doctor will presumably do several tests to determine the disease. These can be imaging, mental, neurological, and physical tests.
Doctor may commence with a mental status test. This can help them examine your long term memory, short-term memory, and orientation to time and place. They may ask:
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Who is the president?
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What is day today?
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To recall and remember a short list of words
They will also conduct a physical exam. They may check heart rate, blood pressure, and take temperature. In few cases, they may collect blood or urine samples for testing in a laboratory.
Along with a physical exam doctor may also conduct a neurological exam to examine other diagnoses, such as an infection or stroke or acute medical issues. During this exam, they will check muscle tone, speech and reflexes.
Doctor may also require brain-imaging studies. The studies, which will create pictures of brain, can include:
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Computed tomography (CT) scan
CT scans take X-ray pictures which can help doctor look for irregular characteristics in brain. -
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
MRIs can help in getting key markers, such as bleeding, structural issues and inflammation. -
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
PET scan pictures can help doctor examine plaque buildup. Plaque is a protein substance linked to Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
Any other tests doctor may do can be blood tests to check for genes that may shows the person have a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Summary
There is no specific test for Alzheimer’s disease but doctor will take some mental status test, test of certain genes and tests of blood.
Alzheimer’s Medication
There’s no recognized cure for Alzheimer’s disease . But doctor can give treatments and medications to help ease symptoms and slow the growth of the disease for as long as possible.
For beginning to moderate Alzheimer’s, doctor may recommend medications such as rivastigmine (Exelon)or donepezil (Aricep) . These drugs can help maintain greater levels of acetylcholine in brain. Acetylcholine is a kind of neurotransmitter that can help aid the memory.
To cure moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, doctor may recommend memantine (Namenda)or
donepezil (Aricept). Memantine can help block the effects of extra glutamate. Glutamate is a brain chemical that’s discharged in greater amounts in Alzheimer’s disease and harm brain cells.
Doctor may also prescribed antipsychotics ,antidepressants, or antianxiety medications to help treat symptoms linked to Alzheimer’s. These symptoms are:
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Aggression
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Agitation
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Depression
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Restlessness
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Hallucinations
How to get rid of depression
Here it is essential to know how to get rid of depression? This disorder is often treated with medication and psychotherapy. Adjustments of some lifestyle can also help ease certain symptoms.
People who have severe major depressive disorder or who have thoughts of harming themselves may need to stay in a hospital during treatment to protect them from harm. Some patients might also need to take part in an out patient treatment program until unless symptoms improve.
Summary
There is no specfic cure of Alzheimer but doctor will prescribed some medications and treatments to slow the progression of the disease.
Preventing Alzhiemer’s
As there’s no recognized cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are no reliable preventive measures. But scientists are focusing on entire healthy lifestyle habits as ways of thwart cognitive reduced.
The following preventive measures may help:
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Exercise on daily bais
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Try cognitive training exercises.
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Stop smoking.
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Maintain an active family and social life
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Eat more antioxidants
Before making any big decision in your lifestyle be sure to talk with doctor.
Summary
There is no reliable preventive measures but patient should eat green vegetables, doing exercise daily, stop smoking etc.
Risk Factors
Unignorable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are:
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Having a family history of Alzheimer’s disease
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Having certain genes
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Aging
The factors that enhance the risk of Alzheimer’s disease include repeated or extreme traumatic brain injuries and having liability to some environmental pollutants, such as toxic pesticides, industrial chemicals and toxic metals.
Factors that may help cure Alzheimer’s include:
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Following a healthful diet
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Exercise on daily basis
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Keeping the brain active
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Managing the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
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Maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
Summary
Risk factors for the Alzheimer’s disease are having family history of Alzheimer’s disease and aging etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Alzheimer’s disease in simple words?
Alzheimer disease is a progressive and irreversible brain disease that gradually destroys thinking and memory skills. It also destroys the ability to perform simplest task. -
Is dementia worse than Alzheimer’s?
Dementia is a term used to explain the symptoms that effects memory, communication abilities and performance of daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most progressive kind of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease get bad with time and affects thoughts , memory and language. -
How long does Alzhiemer’s last?
A person with Alzheimer’s dIsease can lives four to eight years after the examination of disease. Alterations in the brain linked to the Alzheimer’s start years before any indication of the disease. -
How do Alzheimer patients feel?
People with Alzheimer’s disease may have feelings of anxiety, depression,anger ,loneliness and fear. Emotional factors of the disease may be just as essential, mostly to the family and friends. -
Why Alzheimer patient cry a lot?
The Alzheimer patient feel upset and cry sometimes more than usual. Crying for little things is common in some kinds of dementia because those small things affect areas of brain that control our feelings and emotions.
Conclusion
Alzheimer’s disease is a condition in which the death of brain cells causes cognitive decline and memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease has stages that range from mild to severe. Alzheimer’s disease is a ongoing disease, in which the symptoms get worse with the passage of time. Memory loss is one of the first symptoms to develop. A person may develop complications with thinking of simple words, or they make more, spelling, writing, or speech mistakes. Alzheimer’s affects people with the age of 65 years and older. But it can occur in people as early as in the age of 40s or 50s. This is called younger onset, or early onset Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease like all kinds of dementia develops due to the death of brain cells. This is a neurodegenerative condition, which means that death of the brain cells occurs over time. There’s no recognized cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But doctor can give treatments and medications to help ease symptoms and slow the growth of the disease for as long as possible.
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