Alzheimer’s disease more commonly spoken just as Alzheimer’s is defined as a disease that causes brain degeneration and death of brain cells causing mental breakdown and memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia which is defined as the progressive deterioration of intellectual functions such as memory that can occur while other brain functions such as those controlling movement and the senses are retained.
Alzheimer’s disease is believed to occur in stages; mild Alzheimer’s, moderate Alzheimer’s, and followed lastly by severe Alzheimer’s. It is important to note that not everyone with Alzheimer’s experiences these stages in the same order or to the same degree as another individual who has this disease. One person’s mental decline may happen faster or slower than another person their same age with the same disease that is said to be in the same stage. Scientists for the most part believe that Alzheimer’s is caused by both genetic and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. While the cause of Alzheimer’s is still being researched the effects on the brain that this disease causes are clear. Alzheimer’s disease damages and kills brain cells. A brain with Alzheimer’s has fewer brain cells and fewer connections between brain cells than a brain without the disease.
The first symptom for many people with Alzheimer’s is an increase in forgetfulness and mild confusion. If you have Alzheimer’s, you may be the first to notice that you’re having unusual difficulty remembering things and organizing your thoughts. Or you may not recognize that anything is wrong, even when changes are noticeable to your family members or friends. Some common noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer’s are repeating statements and questions over and over, forgetting conversations, appointments, or events, misplacing one’s belongings often or putting them in illogical places, and eventually forgetting the names of family members and everyday objects. People with Alzheimer’s might lose track of what day it is, the time of year, or where they are. Alzheimer’s disease causes difficulty thinking and concentrating especially when it comes to numbers.
Many people with this disease find it very difficult to manage their money, balance their checkbooks, or pay bills on time. Responding to everyday problems such as burning food in an oven becomes increasingly challenging. Brain changes from Alzheimer’s can change the way you act and how you feel causing depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, mood swings, distrust in others, and even aggressiveness. Treating Alzheimer’s is very difficult and often times it is the support from others that can act as the treatment. There are two kinds of medications that are currently used to treat Alzheimer’s.
The first drug works by increasing the cell-to-cell communication chemicals that are depleted by Alzheimer’s.
The second type of drug also works with communication centers in the brain. The most important part of coping with Alzheimer’s is finding support. Exercise and activity are often good remedies to help maintain other parts of the body while the mind is deteriorating.
There is no specific test that determines if you have Alzheimer’s disease or not. Your doctor will make a judgment of whether or not Alzheimer’s is what is causing the symptoms you have explained and discussed with him or her. Alzheimer’s disease can be diagnosed with complete accuracy only after death by doing an autopsy to reveal plaque and tangles in the brain microscopically.
References:
www.Mayoclinic.com/health/Alzheimer’disease
www.WebMD.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-disease-stages
