Alzheimer’s disease is a common kind of dementia. It starts with a little forgetfulness and can eventually make it hard to talk and interact with others. This disease affects the parts of the brain that handle thinking, remembering, and speaking.
Alzheimer’s disease affects how your brain works. In the beginning, people with Alzheimer’s might forget things like conversations, events, and the names of familiar people and places.
This disease gets worse over time, so those in the later stages often need help with everyday tasks like eating and dressing.
While we’re not entirely sure what causes Alzheimer’s, some things can increase your chances of getting it. You can make certain lifestyle choices to lower your risk, and it’s a good idea to chat with your doctor about what else you can do to stay as healthy as possible.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease:
Alzheimer’s disease mainly shows up as memory problems. At first, you might struggle to remember recent events or chats. But as the disease goes on, other issues pop up.
Early on, someone with Alzheimer’s might notice they’re forgetting things and not thinking as clearly. Later, family or friends might spot these problems too.
Here are the main issues caused by changes in the brain due to Alzheimer’s:
1. Memory:
Memory troubles are a big deal. While everyone forgets things now and then, Alzheimer’s memory loss sticks around and gets worse over time. It can make it hard to work or manage daily life. People with Alzheimer’s might repeat themselves, forget important stuff, misplace things, get lost in familiar places, and even forget names of loved ones and everyday objects. Finding the right words for things and having conversations can also become tricky.
2. Thinking and Reasoning:
Alzheimer’s messes with your ability to think clearly, especially about complicated stuff like numbers. Multitasking becomes super tough, and things like handling money, balancing checkbooks, and paying bills can become a struggle. Eventually, it might be tough to understand or deal with numbers at all.
3. Making Decisions:
Alzheimer’s makes it harder to make smart choices in everyday situations. For instance, you might make weird decisions in social situations or dress inappropriately for the weather. Everyday problems can become confusing, like not knowing what to do if food burns on the stove or while driving.
4. Planning and Tasks:
Simple tasks that involve doing things in a certain order can become a challenge. This might include making a meal or playing a favorite game. As Alzheimer’s advances, even basic tasks like dressing and bathing can be forgotten.
5. Personality and Behavior:
The brain changes in Alzheimer’s can also mess with how you feel and act. This can lead to issues like depression, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, withdrawing from social activities, mood swings, mistrusting others, anger, changes in sleep patterns, wandering, losing inhibitions, and even believing things that aren’t true.
6. Preserved Skills:
Despite all these changes, some skills can stick around, like reading or listening to stories, sharing memories, singing, listening to music, dancing, drawing, or doing crafts. These skills might last longer because they’re controlled by parts of the brain affected later in the disease.
Remember, Alzheimer’s is a complex condition, and it can affect people differently. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, it’s essential to reach out to a healthcare professional for guidance and support.
Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease:
1. Mild Alzheimer’s Disease:
- Memory issues get worse.
- Problems with money and daily tasks.
- Repeating questions.
- Changes in personality and behavior.
- This is often when people are diagnosed.
2. Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease:
- Brain damage affects language, thinking, and recognizing things.
- Memory loss and confusion increase.
- Trouble recognizing family and friends.
- Difficulty learning new things or doing simple tasks.
- May have hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia.
- Impulsive behavior can happen.
3. Severe Alzheimer’s Disease:
- Brain damage spreads, and the brain shrinks a lot.
- People can’t communicate and need total care.
- In the late stage, they might be in bed most of the time as the body shuts down.
Factors That Influence Alzheimer’s Risk:
1. Age:
Getting older increases the risk of Alzheimer’s, but it’s not a normal part of aging. About 1 in 9 people over 65 and 1 in 3 over 85 have Alzheimer’s.
2. Gender:
Alzheimer’s affects more women than men, with almost 60% of those with Alzheimer’s being women. Women over 65 have a 20% chance of getting Alzheimer’s, and they’re twice as likely to get it than breast cancer at that age. This might be because women often live longer, but researchers are looking into other reasons too.
3. Genes:
There are two types of genes related to Alzheimer’s. Deterministic genes mean you’ll get it if you live long enough, usually in your 40s or 50s (though this is rare). Risk genes make it more likely but don’t guarantee it. The APOE-e4 gene is commonly linked to Alzheimer’s.
4. Family History:
If someone in your family has Alzheimer’s, your risk goes up, especially if multiple family members have it. This could be because of genes, lifestyle, or both. APOE-e4 can also increase your risk if it runs in your family.
5. Head Injuries:
Serious head injuries, especially ones where you lose consciousness or happen repeatedly (like in contact sports), increase the risk.
6. Brain Abnormalities:
Scientists have found clumps of protein (plaques) and twisted protein strands (tangles) in the brains of people who later get Alzheimer’s. Other signs include inflammation, brain tissue shrinkage, and a loss of connections between brain cells.
7. Smoking:
Smoking is linked to a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
8. High Blood Pressure:
Having high blood pressure in middle age is strongly linked to later developing Alzheimer’s.
9. Obesity:
Being overweight, especially if your body mass index (BMI) is over 30, triples your risk.
10. Physical Activity:
Staying active, like walking, running, or dancing, can help lower your risk of Alzheimer’s. Even activities like weightlifting and doing sit-ups can be beneficial.
11. Mental Activity:
Keeping your mind active is just as important as staying physically active. Taking classes, socializing, volunteering, playing games, and reading can help. These challenges may help your brain build more connections and protect against dementia.
12. Diet:
Eating a heart-healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, and whole grains can benefit cognitive function. Diets like DASH and the Mediterranean diet, which are low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, may lower your risk of both heart disease and dementia.
Remember, while these factors can influence your risk, Alzheimer’s is complex, and no single factor guarantees you’ll develop it. A healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally, is your best defense.
How is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed?
Doctors use several methods to figure out if someone with memory problems has Alzheimer’s disease. That’s because other health issues, especially brain-related ones, can cause similar problems.
When they’re trying to diagnose Alzheimer’s, the doctor will:
- Ask Questions: They’ll talk to you and maybe someone close to you, like a family member, to learn more about your health and daily life. They’ll ask about your overall health, the medicines you’re taking, your medical history, and how well you can do daily tasks. They’ll also ask if your mood, behavior, or personality has changed.
- Examine You: The doctor will give you a physical check-up and do a test to see how your brain is working.
- Do Tests: You might have some standard medical tests, like blood and urine tests, to make sure other health issues aren’t causing your symptoms.
- Brain Tests: You might also need special brain scans, like a CT scan, MRI, or PET scan, to help with the diagnosis or rule out other problems.
So, it’s like putting together a puzzle to figure out if it’s Alzheimer’s or something else that’s causing the memory problems.
How Alzheimer’s Disease Is Treated?
Right now, there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are ways to help improve the lives of those who have it and the people who care for them. Treatment focuses on a few key things:
- Brain Health: Doctors work on ways to keep the brain as healthy as possible.
- Managing Behavior: They also help deal with any behavioral problems that can come with the disease.
- Slowing Down Symptoms: And they try to slow down the worsening of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Support for Family and Friends:
Many folks with Alzheimer’s are taken care of at home by their family. This can be a good thing because it can bring a sense of fulfillment to the caregiver, like knowing they’re helping a loved one. It can also help build new skills and strengthen family bonds.
But, taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s can be tough and overwhelming at times. Every day can bring new challenges as the person’s abilities change, and their behavior might become different. As the disease progresses, they might need more care and attention.
So, while there’s no cure, there are ways to make life better for both the person with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
When Should I See a Doctor?
If you or someone you care about is having trouble with memory or thinking, it’s a good idea to see a doctor. They can figure out if it might be Alzheimer’s or something else.
If Alzheimer’s is diagnosed, you’ll need to visit your healthcare team regularly to check how it’s going and make sure the care plan is helping.
What Questions Should I Ask the Doctor?
If your loved one has Alzheimer’s, you can ask their healthcare team these questions:
- How does Alzheimer’s usually get worse over time?
- What should I watch for as the disease progresses?
- Are there treatments for Alzheimer’s? What do you suggest?
- Are there any research studies (clinical trials) happening?
- What’s the best place for my loved one to live comfortably and safely?
- How can I make their living space safe and comfy?
- What local services and groups can help us?
- Could I also be at risk for Alzheimer’s, especially if it runs in our family?
These questions can help you understand and plan for what’s ahead.
