Alzheimer's Disease - Symptoms and Diagnosis

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative disease and another execute of dementia which affects the memory, thinking and behavior and eventually loses control in reasoning, planning, language and perception. Dementia is serious disorder that affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is a neurogenerative disease. notorious case of this disease is the US president Ronald Reagan. This disease is named after the German physician Aloi Alzheimer who first explained this disease. In US Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death and there is no cure for the disease at note. This disease begins slowly and in course of time the symptoms rep worse. The patients even forget how to brush their teeth and comb their hair.

In any type of dementia, memory loss is an well-known feature for the diagnosis. The rate of development or advancement in each person differs from each other. If the diseases come lickety-split, it will continue to progress fleet and if it is dreary advancement of the disease, it will continue on a tiring, meander. The conventional people have greater risks of developing Alzheimer's disease and it is not a share of normal ageing. Family history is also a risk factor. In addition to passe age and family history, there are other factors also such as

(a) Very outmoded blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart diseases.(b) History of head injury or harm.(c) High levels of homocyteine.(d) Being a female or as a women live longer than men, they are more prone to do Alzheimer's disease.

Two types of Alzheimer's disease are early onset and leisurely onset. Symptoms appear before 60 years in early onset.

The loyal cause of Alzheimer's disease is not known but it is notion to be depending on genetic and environmental factors. Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed by its distinguishing symptoms and by excluding other causes of dementia. The time span of the disease may vary from five and 20 years according to the age in which it got affected.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:(a) Repeating statements and sentences.(b) Mislaying items.(c) Forgetting names of familiar objects and people.(d) Change in personality such as less spontaneity apathy and also have the inclination to retreat from social interaction.(e) Lose of interest in things enjoyed before.(f) inconvenience in performing tasks which takes time such as balancing checkbook and playing complex games.(g) Mood change.

More sure symptoms can be seen in the advanced stage of the disease. They are:

(a) Lose of memory in novel events.(b) Forget their self and events in their life. (c) Cannot decide helpful clothing.(d) glum, nervous and fantasy.(e) effort in performing task such as preparing meals and driving.

During the last stage the patient cannot survive with out the assistance until death. The symptoms are:(a) Does not understand language or cannot communicate.(b) Cannot notice the members of the family.(c) Cannot do the daily basic things like eating, dressing and bathing.

Age is a factor

Alzheimer's disease occurs around 50% of persons over the age of 85 but it is not normal as people lived over 100 years of age never developed Alzheimer's disease. It normally occurs in people above the age 70. One of the risk factors of this disease is the advancing age. The frequency of the disease increases as the population ages. There are very rare cases of Alzheimer's disease at 40s and 50s i.e. 2%-5% of patients. Half of these patients with early onset disease are because of gene mutation and the offspring of the patient with early onset disease is also at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. slow onset of Alzheimer's disease is due to a celebrated beget of gene located on chromosome 19. But in majority of patients no specific genetic risks are identified.

Patient with Down syndrome will manufacture the brain changes of Alzheimer's disease by 40 years of age. Those who have Alzheimer's disease will mostly from other diseases such as heart disease or some other health plight rather than Alzheimer's disease.

The increased frequency of this disease is in women led to the research about the role of estrogen hormone. More fresh studies present that estrogen should not be prescribed to post menopausal women to decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Diagnosis

Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed when a person has a cognitive decline which is like dementia. There are many other conditions such as:

(a) Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, strokes, cerebrovascular disease, blood clots and multiple sclerosis.(b) Brain infections such as chronic syphilis, chronic HIV or chronic meningitis.(c) Cognitive impairment can be caused as a side enact of some medicines which is aged to control bladder urgency and incontinence. Psychiatric medications such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines and also neurological medications such as ant-seizure medicines.(d) Psychiatric disorders(e) Abuse of accurate and illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol.(f) Metabolic disorders such as Vitamin B1 deficiency or thiamine deficiency.(g) Head injuries with brain contusion and blood clots in brain.(h) Dementia can be caused by brain tumors.(i) Acute carbon monoxide poisoning can also lead to dementia.

Many other disorders can be confused with Alzheimer's disease. The diagnosis also includes:

(1) A thorough general medical checkup.(2) Neurological examination which include testing memory and other function of thinking.(3) Psychiatric evaluation to assess mood, dread and clarity of opinion.

It is understood that during the course of the disease 'plaques' and 'tangles' get in structure of the brain, leading to the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. The examination of brain cells is possible only during autopsy.

Reducing cardiovascular risk factors such as hyper cholestrolemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, lack of physical activity and high dietary saturated fats can chop the onset and course of Alzheimer's disease. gleaming stimulation such as playing chess or completing crossword puzzles and regular physical consume also can carve the progression of the disease.

Role of the family

The role of the family is most essential in both reducing cost of care and improving the quality of life of the patient. Home care may delay the symptoms and delay or eliminate the need for more professional and costly care. Home based care also may have economic, emotional and ever psychological costs to the patient's family.