What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 6 years of experience
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Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder that damages the nerve cells in the brain. This disease commonly affects people in old age. The memory of the people suffering from this disease becomes very weak, and their brain does not function properly. Due to this, their daily routine gradually starts deteriorating. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. You cannot cure Alzheimer’s completely, but you can control its symptoms.
Let us tell you in detail about Alzheimer’s disease through this article.
- What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
- What are the causes of Alzheimer’s Disease?
- What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
- What are the complications of Alzheimer’s Disease?
- How to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease?
- What are the treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease?
- How to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is a neurological condition that affects the human brain. It is a progressive neurological disorder which causes the brain to shrink and this leads to brain cells to die. It causes memory loss due to which the person cannot remember anything.
Alzheimer’s commonly affects older adults who are above the age of 65. When the body starts aging, the brain also starts degenerating. Alzheimer’s occurs because there is a loss of connection between the nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Due to this, the patient loses his memory and has difficulty in recognizing objects and faces. Dementia is a condition that occurs due to Alzheimer’s disease. In dementia patients, there is a continuous decline in the thinking, behavioral and social skills of the person which affects the patient’s ability to perform activities and functions normally and independently.
( Know more about- What is Dementia? Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention )
What are the causes of Alzheimer’s Disease?
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not known. The brain proteins fail to function properly, which causes damage to the brain cells. This leads to loss of connection of the brain cells with each other, thus gradually the cells begin to die off.
Some theories state that the cause is a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. In less than 1 percent of the population it occurs due to specific genetic causes. It is found that the damage in the brain begins in the memory storage parts of the brain.Some risk factors that may cause Alzheimer’s Disease are-
- People over the age of 65 are at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Women are more prone to developing Alzheimer’s Disease
- People with mild cognitive impairment ( a condition where there is decline in the memory and other thinking skills ), have higher risk of developing dementia.
- Alzheimer’s may occur due to a head injury, the risk increases with old age, and also if there are multiple head trauma injuries. The risk is said to be maximum in the first 6 months to 2 years after the head injury.
- Insomnia increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- High air pollution can fasten the rate of nerve damage, increasing the rate of dementia.
- Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of early onset dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease may occur due to a genetic or family history of the same.
- Patients with Down syndrome ( a genetic disorder ) have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, where the symptoms appear 10-20 years prior to normal people.
- Other factors like- lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, etc increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
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What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s symptoms are divided into three categories-
Early symptoms –
- Losing track of dates and time
- Misplacing items
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Inability to complete daily tasks on time
- Avoiding social events
- Problems with talking
- Memory problems disturbing your day-to-day life
Moderate symptoms –
- Getting angry without any reason
- Having problems recognizing friends and family members
- Difficulty in reading and writing
- Unable to learn and understand new tasks
- Experiencing behavior symptoms, such as crying, anxiety, wandering, restlessness, etc.
Severe symptoms –
- Loss of weight
- Experience seizures
- Skin infections
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Decrease in urination
(Know more about-What is Parkinson’s Disease? Symptoms, Treatment,Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy )
What are the complications of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Due to memory loss and language impairment, impaired judgment and other cognitive changes, Alzheimer’s disease can lead to other health complications, which are as follows-
- lack of ability to express pain
- lack of ability to explain symptoms of other diseases
- lack of ability to follow the treatment plan and tell medication side effects
In advanced cases of Alzheimer’s Disease, brain changes become worse and affect physical functions like swallowing, balance, bowel and bladder control. These can lead to following health problems like
- aspiration of food and liquids into the lungs
- frequent episodes of flu, infections, and other lung diseases
- frequent episodes of falls, that may lead to head injuries, fractures, etc
- bedsores
- frequent episodes of diarrhea, constipation
- dehydration and malnutrition
- dental problems like mouth ulcers, tooth decay increases
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How to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease?
The various lab tests and imaging tests are done by the doctor to assess the memory and thinking skills, which are as follows-
- Physical and neurological exam ( where the doctor will check for reflexes, muscle strength, muscle tone, walking ability, gait, sight and hearing ability, balance and coordination)
- Blood tests ( to rule out other causes for dementia-like thyroid disorders, vitamin deficiencies )
- Mental and neuropsychological testing (this help to start the treatment and assess the progression of symptoms )
- Brain imaging ( these include tests like MRI, CT, PET scans, etc, which are done to get the brain images to identify conditions like stroke, trauma, tumors, etc )
( Know more about- What is Brain Injury? Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention )
What are the treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease?
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But to reduce the symptoms, doctors prescribe some medicines so that the person can get some relief. The two lines of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are-
- Drugs- These help the patients with the symptoms of memory and cognitive changes. The two types of drugs are- cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. Other drugs that may be given to the patient are antidepressant drugs which help to control the behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Create a safe and supportive environment- This will improve the patient’s ability to function well and improve the person’s sense of well being. This can be done with steps like- keeping medications in a safe place, patients should carry cell phones with location enability feature, installing alarms on doors and windows, scheduling appointments, installing sturdy handrails, ensuring safe shoes and slippers, patients should have an identification or medical alert bracelet, etc.
( Know more about- What is Memory Loss? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Prevention )
How to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But according to some scientific research, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s can prevent its occurrence. One can modify many lifestyle factors that can reduce the risk of occurrence.
Control and treat/ manage the following conditions-
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
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- Follow regular exercise habits
- Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, green vegetables, healthy oils, and fats ( low in saturated fats )
- Quit smoking and other habits like alcohol, etc.
We hope we were able to answer your questions about Alzheimer’s disease through this article.
If you need more information and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, then immediately contact a Neurologist.
We only aim to provide you with information through this article. We do not recommend treatment or medication in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice and correct treatment plan.
