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Alzheimer’s disease is the most general kind of dementia, a brain disease that gradually destroys an individual’s thinking and memory skills. It is distinguished by a loss of cognitive functions — remembering, thinking, and reasoning — and behavioral capabilities to such a degree that it interferes with an individual’s day-to-day life and activities. After a while, those with Alzheimer’s lose the capability to carry out simple day-to-day tasks, like eating or walking. For most individuals with this specific kind of dementia, symptoms initially appear in their mid-sixties.

Present estimates indicate more than six million Americans age sixty-five and older might have Alzheimer’s. Age is the greatest known adverse impact for Alzheimer’s, and rates of the disease are expected to increase as the population gets older.

It’s additionally common for individuals to have diverse dementia — a combination of two or more kinds of dementia. For instance, some individuals suffer from both Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia.

What Are the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?

Whereas the symptoms of Alzheimer’s differ, memory issues are typically one of the initial signs of cognitive impairment associated with the disease. A lot of individuals also notice a decline in other cognitive abilities. They may have difficulty finding the right words, visual-spatial issues, or challenges with judgment or reasoning. These could all be initial signs of the disease.

Those with Alzheimer’s may also have challenges doing day-to-day things like driving, preparing food, or paying their bills. They might repeatedly ask the same question, easily get lost, lose items or put them in strange places, and even find simple issues confusing. As the disease gets worse, some individuals might become concerned, restless, or anxious.

How Does Alzheimer’s Alter the Brain?

Alzheimer’s initially damages the areas of the brain related to memory. It later impacts areas responsible for reasoning, language, and social conduct. After a while, the disease damages many other parts of the brain.

A distinctive trait of Alzheimer’s is the surge of irregular clumps of proteins in the brain. These clumps, known as tau tangles and amyloid plaques, interrupt the typical functions of brain cells.

The decline of connections between nerve cells is another change that occurs with the disease. Neurons transfer messages between various areas of the brain, and out of the brain to organs and muscles throughout the body. Through Alzheimer’s, a lot of neurons stop functioning correctly, lose connections with other nerve cells, and over time die. A lot of other involved brain changes are believed to play a part in the disease also.

How Long Can an Individual Live with Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s is the 7th leading cause of death in the US. The time from diagnosis to death differs greatly.

Presently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. Nevertheless, there are present medications — in addition to others in development — that could help treat the advancement of the disease by focusing on its underlying causes. There are additional medications that might temporarily improve or balance thinking and memory skills in some individuals and may help control certain symptoms and behavioral issues.

An In-Depth Look At Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is a kind of dementia that has been found to cause problems with people’s behavior, memory and thought process. Symptoms usually progresses slowly and will worsen over time, becoming serious enough to interfere with day to day tasks. Alzheimer’s disease affects different parts of the patient’s brain causing various symptoms sometimes not diagnosed prior to the later stages of the disease.

What Some Causes of Alzheimer’s?

The cause for some Alzheimer’s cases is still mostly unexplained except for 1 to 5 percent of cases where genetic variations have been recognized.

Family History:

If a person who has Alzheimer’s is a parent or grandparent, they can pass on the disease to their offspring.

Diet:

Keeping a well balanced diet can help protect the brain. Following a heart-healthy diet can decrease future cognitive deterioration by up to 35 percent.

Head Injuries:

Patients that have had certain head injuries early in life run a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The worse the head injury is, the greater the risk.

Genetics:

There are two categories of genes that effect whether a person develops a disease. One is deterministic genes and the other risk genes; Alzheimer’s genes have been located in both of them.

Down Syndrome:

It is unclear but those who have Down Syndrome may develop Alzheimer’s in their 30’s and 40’s.

What Are The Different Phases of Alzheimer’s?

There are different phase your loved one will go through when developing Alzheimer’s. It really comes down to what part of the brain is affected.

1) Normal Behavior

You probably won’t notice any symptoms in your loved one, but taking a test may uncover a problem.

2)  Very Mild Changes

At this phase you will probably pick up on small differences in their behavior, such as misplacing more things that usual, or skipping a word or two.

3) Mild Changes

During this phase you start to notice changes in your loved one reasoning and thinking. They may forget what they just read, forget doctor’s appointments or may ask the same question over and over.

4) Moderate Changes

The changes you saw in phase 3 will be more prominent. You will begin to see new issues appear and may start to stress to your loved one about retiring or stopping driving. You also want to make sure they aren’t getting taken advantage of.

5) Moderately Severe Change

At this point, you loved one may forget what day it is, what season, and may need help with picking out clothes. Even if they can’t remember where they went to school at, they still may be able to tell a story.

6) Severe Change

You loved on may start to get more confused, they remember faces but not names, they may mistake a complete stranger as a good friend. They may want to go to work, but are no longer employed. You may have to assist helping they go to the restroom. It may also start to be difficult to talk.

7) Very Severe Change

Your loved one at this point may be bedridden, they need help eating, can no longer eat solid foods. They may no longer talk or respond to outside stimuli. You loved one is going to need 24 hour assistance.

What Are Some Treatments for Alzheimer’s Patients?

While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are steps you can take to make their lives a little better.  An unwritten rule is to get plenty of exercise and keep and eat a healthy diet.

Medications

Although there are no current medications to cure Alzheimer’s, there are medications that can make your loved ones life a little easier. There are many types of drugs that can aid in brain functionality. Some medications can slow the disease’s process down depending on the stage of progress the effects will lasts for a limited time.

Environmental Readjustment

Changing the environment your loved one lives in can considerably increase their safety and well-being while decreasing their anxiousness. Be sure to inspect each room for hazards, like throw rugs, or under lit rooms. Home alterations for safety include removal of hazardous items that could be used to harm themselves, harmful chemicals. Utilize child-proof items like outlet covers. Door locks may also be used to limit access.

Psychotherapy

Meeting with a therapist can also be beneficial as your loved one struggles to accept, come to terms with, their new diagnosis. As their Alzheimer’s progresses, psychotherapy becomes less useful to the patient as cognitive deterioration occurs and the ability to express themselves is lost.

Alzheimer’s Patient Treatments

Each Alzheimer’s patient is going to be different depending on the progression of the disease. Different patients are going to have different symptoms. These are just some of the treatment options available for your loved one.

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