What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Dementia that progresses over time is Alzheimer’s disease. A more general word for illnesses that impair thinking, memory, and behaviour is dementia. The alterations make daily living more difficult. Numerous conditions and traumas to the brain can result in dementia. Occasionally the reason is not known.
Sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The majority of patients receive a diagnosis after turning 65. It is sometimes referred to as “younger onset” or “early onset” Alzheimer’s disease if a diagnosis is made before then.
Alzheimer’s cannot be cured, however, there are therapies that can impede the illness’s course.
Facts about Alzheimer’s
Even if Alzheimer’s disease is widely known, it’s still beneficial to be aware of the specifics. Here are some important facts regarding this condition:
- Alzheimer’s disease is a persistent, long-term illness. It is not an age-related symptom.
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are not synonymous. One kind of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
- Its effects are degenerative, meaning they induce steady deterioration in brain function, and its symptoms appear gradually.
- Alzheimer’s disease may strike anyone, although some people are more susceptible to it than others. This includes those who are older than 65 and those who have a family history of the illness.
- A person with Alzheimer’s disease cannot be expected to live a certain way. While some persons suffer a slower rate of disease development and symptom onset, others live with moderate cognitive impairment for an extended period of time.
- Although there is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s, medication can help reduce the disease’s course and perhaps enhance quality of life.
Everybody’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease is unique.
Alzheimer’s disease symptoms
Everybody occasionally has moments of amnesia. However, there are persistent behaviours and symptoms that deteriorate with time in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. These may consist of:
- Memory loss interfering with day-to-day tasks like scheduling appointments
- difficulties doing routine chores, including using a microwave, problems addressing problems
- difficulty speaking or writing
- being confused about locations or timings
- reduced discernment
- reduction in personal hygiene
- shifts in personality and mood
- disengagement from the community, family, and friends
These symptoms don’t usually indicate Alzheimer’s disease. It’s critical to consult a physician to ascertain the cause.
Symptoms vary depending on the disease’s stage. Those who have Alzheimer’s disease in their latter stages frequently experience severe difficulties speaking, moving, or reacting to their surroundings.
Tests for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s cannot be definitively diagnosed with a test. However, your doctor can get assistance in making a diagnosis from mental, physical, neurological, and imaging testing.
Your physician could begin by doing a mental status examination. This can aid them in evaluating your:
- transient memory
- enduring memory
- orientation to the time and location
For instance, they could query you:
- Which day is it?
- The President’s Identity
- to commit to memory and retrieve a brief collection of terms
The next step will probably be a physical examination. For instance, they might:
- Check the pulse rate.
- Check your body temperature.
- ask for blood or urine testing, if necessary
In order to rule out other potential diagnoses, such as acute medical conditions like an infection or stroke, your doctor might also do a neurological test. In this examination, they’ll look at:
- reactions
- muscular mass
- dialogue
Additionally, your doctor could request brain imaging tests. These investigations, which will provide brain images, may consist of:
A scan using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Crucial signs including inflammation, haemorrhage, and structural problems can be detected by MRIs.
CT scan, or computed tomography: CT scans provide X-ray pictures that your doctor can use to check for any abnormalities in your brain.
Additional examinations Blood tests to look for genes that could suggest you have a greater chance of Alzheimer’s disease are something your doctor might undertake.
Alzheimer’s disease Medication
Alzheimer’s disease currently has no recognised treatment. To assist in managing your symptoms and stop the disease from progressing as soon as possible, your doctor may suggest drugs and other therapies.
Your doctor may recommend drugs like rivastigmine (Exelon) or donepezil (Aricept) for mild to early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. These medications can support your brain’s continued high acetylcholine levels. Your brain’s nerve cells may be able to send and receive impulses more effectively as a result. As a result, this could lessen a few Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Aduhelm, a more recent medicine, is only advised for those with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. It is believed to lessen the protein plaques that Alzheimer’s disease causes to accumulate in the brain. Nevertheless, some people question if the drug’s possible advantages exceed its drawbacks.
Memantine (Namenda) or donepezil (Aricept) may be recommended by your doctor to treat moderate to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Memantine can assist in obstructing the consequences of glutamate excess. Alzheimer’s disease causes increased levels of glutamate, a brain neurotransmitter that destroys brain tissue.
To assist in treating Alzheimer’s symptoms, your doctor may also suggest antipsychotics, antidepressants, or anxiety drugs. Depending on how the illness is developing, these symptoms might vary and include:
- depression
- unable to fall asleep at night
- Anger
- false impressions
Alzheimer’s patients will require more care as time goes on, but each person may experience the disease’s symptoms differently.
Stages of Alzheimer’s
Since Alzheimer’s is a degenerative illness, symptoms will progressively worsen over time. Seven primary phases are present:
Stages 1-3: Mild cognitive impairment and dementia
Stage 1: At this point, there are no symptoms. If you don’t have any symptoms but have a family history of Alzheimer’s, you might consider discussing healthy ageing techniques with a physician.
Stage 2: The first signs, including amnesia, manifest.
Stage 3: Memory loss and decreased focus are among the mild cognitive and physical deficits that manifest. Gaining new abilities might get more difficult. Only a close friend or relative may detect these changes in the individual.
Stages 4–7: Alzheimer’s
Phase 4: At this point, Alzheimer’s is still regarded as mild, but it is often diagnosed. It’s typical to have memory loss and trouble doing daily duties.
Phase 5: Help from family members or carers will be necessary for moderate to severe symptoms. This is required to make sure that necessities, including taking care of the house and eating meals, are satisfied.
Stage 6: An individual suffering from Alzheimer’s will require assistance with daily activities including eating, dressing, and using the restroom.
Phase 7: This is the last and most severe phase of Alzheimer’s. Speech and facial emotions often gradually disappear. There will probably be less room for movement.
A person will require more assistance from their carers as they move through these stages.
Consult your physician about coping mechanisms for these changes. You may prolong your comfort and quality of life by receiving the right treatment.
Talking to your loved ones about your care plan is also very essential. As the condition worsens, people with Alzheimer’s will require greater help making medical decisions.
After being diagnosed, people with Alzheimer’s disease usually survive for four to eight years, although some can live up to twenty years.
Keeping Alzheimer’s at Bay
There is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, just as there is no treatment for the disease itself. As of right now, the most effective strategies to stop cognitive decline are health-promoting lifestyle choices.
These actions might be useful:
- Aim to give up smoking. Giving up smoking is better for your health in the short and long terms.
- Work out frequently. Being physically active lowers the risk of several illnesses, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Maintain mental activity. Try some activities for cognitive training.
- Consume healthfully. Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and well-balanced.
- Continue having social interactions. Engaging in volunteer work, hobbies, and friendships can positively impact your general health.
Before making any significant lifestyle changes, make sure to see your physician.
Alzheimer’s treatment
As Alzheimer’s disease worsens, more assistance is needed with daily activities. It’s critical to begin educating yourself on what to anticipate and your potential involvement in your loved one’s future care if you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Although providing care is sometimes a difficult job, it can also be highly fulfilling.
Here are some strategies to help you organise and get ready to provide care if a loved one gets Alzheimer’s:
- Learn about the phases of Alzheimer’s disease and its common symptoms. You’ve already started along the correct path by reading this article.
- Make contact with relatives who are able to provide assistance.
- Think about becoming a member of a dementia carer support group.
- Find out about adult day care, respite care, and professional home care services in your community.
- Recall that you will also require assistance. Engage with your loved ones and show them that you’re willing to take assistance.
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