Alzheimer Disease – Causes, Symptoms, stages and treatment of Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer disease: This is a neurological disorder that affects brain function including memory. This health condition gradually develops when a particular area of the brain starts shrinking.

Causes of Alzheimer’s disease

• Gene
• Aging
• Severe head injuries
• Lifestyle
• Cardiovascular disease
• Down’s syndrome

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

• Forgetting of recent events and people
• Confusion and disorientation
• Struggles with making decisions and planning
• Anxiety and mood swing
• Difficulty speaking and use of language
• Struggles with carry out self-task alone
• Hallucinations
• Misplacing things
• Withdrawal from work and social life
• Poor decision

Who is affected?

Alzheimer’s disease affects aged people. People age 50 and above are at risk.
Because the development of this disease takes a gradual process, it makes diagnoses difficult. Hence people who have it think that it is a part of growing old. But when diagnoses are carried out early, the person stands a better chance of getting help and support.

Awareness

Alzheimer’s disease is a life-shortening illness. It has been identified that most people who develop this neurological disorder do not live long after they have developed this illness. While this is true, it varies from one person to another. Alzheimer’s disease leads to difficulty in swallowing food which in turn causes aspiration and subsequent chest infection. People with this disease also suffer the loss of appetite and eating difficulty. The earlier the awareness the earlier the person receives palliative care.

Is Alzheimer’s disease treatable?

Alzheimer’s disease has no known cause hence has no known prevention. But these are some things to do to reduce the risk or delay its start:
• Eating healthy diets
• Staying physically fit
• Staying mentally active
• Maintaining a good weight
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol intake

Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s disease?

No! There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease but medications can be given to slow down its development and reduce its symptoms. Few changes can be done to help these ones such as a change in a home environment so that they find it easier to move around and carry out few tasks.
Therapies like Cognitive stimulation therapy can be given to help with memory gain and improve language skills.

Stages

Alzheimer’s disease ranges from mild to severe.
Mild Alzheimer’s disease: This group of people experiencing loss of memory and cognitive difficulties such as:
• Getting lost
• Lingering on daily tasks
• Difficulty in handling money and paying bills
• Changes in behaviour such as pacing about or hiding things.
Moderate Alzheimer’s disease: The group of people with this level of illness have the part of their brain that is connected to language, senses, consciousness, and reasoning damaged. Hence they experience:
• Greater confusion and memory loss
• Difficulty in learning new things
• Difficulty in coping with the new situation
• Struggles to recognize family and friends
• Impulsive attitude

Severe Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s disease is said to be severe when the brain cells experience plaque and tangles hence shrinking the brain tissues. At this stage, the patient is unable to communicate and is totally dependent on care from others.

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