First identified more than 100 years ago, Alzheimer's disease research has actually only become more popular in the last 30 years. The cause for the disease is still unknown. Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Different people are affected in different ways. Commonly, a worsening ability to remember new information starts happening. This is due to brain cell functionality breaking down: the breakdown happens in the region where new information is stored. The more the cells break down, the more the symptoms can be identified. Here's a list of warning signs:
• Memory loss that affects everyday life
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
• New problems with words in speaking or writing
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
• Decreased or poor judgment
• Withdrawal from work or social activities
• Changes in mood and personality
The progression from mild symptoms to moderate to severe disease is different for individuals. In advanced Alzheimer's, people need help with basic activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, using the bathroom and eating. Those in the final stages of the disease lose their ability to communicate, fail to recognize loved ones and become bed-bound and reliant on around-the-clock care.
In those final stages, when a patient isn't able to move around, they can become susceptible to infections. Alzheimer's disease is a fatal disease, and it's often from infections like pneumonia that a person passes away.
Most families want to keep their loved one at home to care for them as long as possible. Most people eventually do need to move into a nursing home or residential care where they can receive constant attention as needed, around-the-clock, to have their health professionally cared for.
Getting a Diagnosis
Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is most often done by a family physician. The physician will gather medical and family histories, including psychiatric, cognitive and behavioral changes. Physical and neurological exams will be conducted, and sometimes an MRI is performed to identify brain changes.
Causes of Alzheimer's
The causes of Alzheimer's are unknown. Scientists do know that what happens is that the neurons in a person's brain start failing to send messages to one another. As the neurons start failing, the nutrients and other essential molecules are blocked from being transported throughout the cell. This is believed to contribute to cell death. Brains that have been studied after advanced Alzheimer's has settled in show shrinkage from cell loss and widespread debris from dead and dying neurons.
The greatest risk factor for the disease is aging, but this isn't a normal part of aging. Most people affected by Alzheimer's are age 65 and older. Family history also seems to play a roll, as individuals with a parent, brother or sister with Alzheimer's are more likely to develop it themselves.
Moderate and severe head trauma, head injury and traumatic brain injury are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. If the head injury results in loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia lasting more than 30 minutes, the injury is considered moderate; if either of these lasts more than 24 hours, the injury is considered severe.
Treatment
At this time, there is no treatment available to stop the deterioration of brain cells in Alzheimer's disease. There have been five drugs so far that have been approved to slow the process of the dying cells for 6 to 12 months. They seem to work in some but not all cases. Approximately 75 to 100 experimental therapies aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of Alzheimer's are in clinical testing in human volunteers. Despite the current lack of disease-modifying therapies, studies have consistently shown that active medical management of Alzheimer's and other dementia can significantly improve quality of life through all stages of the disease for individuals with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.
Submitted by Mark Halteman of ALZanswer.com. Mark works with and supports individuals and families living with Alzheimer's disease. He understands the delicate moments and stress that can fill every moment when a loved one has Alzheimer's. His website offers interviews, articles and help for people going through this experience. You can find out more by visiting [http://alzanswer.com]
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