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Every year, on September 21 the whole world observes world Alzheimer’s day. But what do we know about Alzheimer’s disease? Is it only associated with memory loss? There are a lot of things that we need to know about this medical condition.
In this article, we are going to see all that we need to know about Alzheimer’s disease including its cause, symptoms, treatment, and prevention methods.
What exactly is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia (a term associated with diminished thinking, remembering, and decision-making capability) that usually causes the brain to shrink and the cells of the brain to die.
Sometimes the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s can become so crucial that they can increase progressively. People with Alzheimer’s will suffer from severe memory loss and it will be difficult for them to manage regular tasks.
How is Alzheimer’s different from dementia?
Alzheimer’s is caused by brain changes followed by cell damage. Alzheimer’s can progressively lead to symptoms of dementia that can worsen over time. As the intensity of Alzheimer’s grow the symptoms associated include disorientation and confusion.
Even simple daily tasks such as walking and swallowing food will even become difficult for people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Even though most people who are having Alzheimer’s are more than the age of 65, the condition is independent of aging.
Dementia involves changes in memory, reasoning, and thinking skills. Several types of dementia involve many reasons for their causes. Mixed dementia is a condition where the person is having more than one type of dementia.
People with dementia will find it very difficult to remember someone’s name who is very familiar and forgetting about things they have kept.
What are the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease?
As Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disorder, the symptoms may be reflected in the person slowly in course of time.
In the early stage of Alzheimer’s, the person may seem to be healthy. But as time progresses the person will have a thought that “something is not well”. This trouble thought will often pop up in the person’s mind.
The most common signs and symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s include:
- Memory loss
Well, we have all seen in movies that a person suffering from Alzheimer’s suffering from memory loss. Memory loss is one of the most common symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s.
At the early stages of Alzheimer’s, the person tends to forget everything including the names of close relatives even family members, important events, something which is just heard. They usually ask questions repeatedly and need to depend on memory aids.
- Difficulty in doing daily tasks
People possessing Alzheimer’s will also find it difficult to do daily tasks such as going to a shop, organizing a list, playing a game, remembering traffic rules, or handling basic functions of devices such as mobile.
- Problems with speaking
Sometimes, it will be difficult for us to understand the way they speak. They may suddenly stop in the middle of a conversation as they have no idea of continuing. These people may also repeat something they have told several times.
- Changes in mood and personality
People with Alzheimer’s will have trouble due to personality and mood changes. They can easily become confused, angry, depressed, frustrated, anxious, or fearful. They can show serious mood changes with people who are out of their comfort zone.
- Social withdrawal
People with Alzheimer’s will slowly start to withdraw themselves from society. They start to spend time alone without enjoying anyone’s company, participating in social activities or hobbies.
What is the main cause of Alzheimer’s?
Till date, medical experts aren’t able to explain the exact reason for Alzheimer’s. But it is believed that Alzheimer’s happens when brain protein does not function normally. Moreover, Alzheimer’s can happen due to environmental, genetics as well as lifestyle changes.
Changes in the body associated with Alzheimer’s begins in a person’s body years before the first symptoms. At first, the damage occurs in the part of the brain which controls memory and may spread slowly resulting in the brain shrinking at a later stage.
Researches point that two important protein in the brain can significantly influence the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. They are:
- Plaques
- Tangles
Can we cure Alzheimer’s disease?
Currently, there is no total cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But there are medications available to treat the symptoms.
Medications
To cure the symptoms associated with memory loss, the doctor may prescribe medications. The most commonly used medications against Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Cholinesterase inhibitors
This drug usually improves cell to cell communication in the brain. This medicine when tried on people with Alzheimer’s has shown slight improvement. They are also used as a treatment against symptoms of depression.
- Memantine
This drug also improves cell to cell communication inside the brain. They are effective even for severe symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
How can you prevent Alzheimer’s?
No one is sure about the exact way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. But a small step towards lifestyle change can help you to prevent the risk of Alzheimer’s to an extend. Some of the preventive methods that we could follow are:
- Manage your body weight
- H2O is the new “mantra”
- Consume healthy diet
- Engage in physical activities
- Avoid tobacco
As mentioned, Alzheimer’s is a serious disease. If you or anyone you know have the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s, consult a neurologist as soon as possible.
It is not just a disease to treat with medications and treatments. People with Alzheimer’s also need love and care along with treatment. “We remember their love when they can no longer remember”.
