Learn About Alzheimer's Disease

The numbers are in and it is frightning…one out of ten people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, in a recent statistic polls, 5.3 million Americans suffer one way or the other from this dreaded progressive disease.

Out of that 5.3 million Americans, 200,000 are ages 30-50.

Below is some information that you will find useful about this disease.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative problem characterized by memory loss as well as loss in thinking skills. It is actually part of a constellation of memory and brain problems called dementia. It can lead to behavioral changes, loss of language skills, disorientation, confusion and increasing dependency. Most experts believe that Alzheimer’s is caused by a problem in the genetic make-up and is often associated with old age.

What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

In the beginning stages, it is not easy to determine that Alzheimer’s is the culprit simply because the onset of the disease will often manifest in symptoms often associated with forgetfulness due to aging. What separates this problem though is the fact that people with Alzheimer’s will eventually even forget normal routines and simple tasks. For instance, patients with Alzheimer’s can forget how to hold a spoon and fork while others will forget how to brush their teeth and take a bath. Believe it or not, some medical experts even say that some may even forget how to breathe. It can start with ordinary forgetting of names and faces until it progresses to something major that can renderthe person totally incapacitated.

Who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease?
 
Although there are cases of Alzheimer’s that affected people in their 30s, most patients are over the age of 65 and a vast majority is over the age of 85. In addition to old age, experts believe that a family history of the same problem or of dementia may predispose someone to the disease. This is because experts pinpoint a defect in the genetic make up of the person who has Alzheimer’s disease.

People who are not regularly pursueing mental activities or employment that do not involve mental strains have a higher risk of developing the disease compared to people who often stretch their mental muscles either through work or play. In fact, one of the ways to prevent the onset of dementia is to exercise the brain all the time especially for older individuals. Even when one is already retired from work, the elderly should not forget to use their minds by engaging in mental pursuits such as reading, doing crossword puzzles and even playing board games.

How do you diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease?

As mentioned earlier, it is extremely difficult for a person to differentiate an ordinary case of forgetfulness and dementia at the beginning of the disease. Some of the symptoms, such as slow mental processing and forgetfulness may be attributed to other problems such as thyroid gland problems, reactions to medications that are being taken, and even just a normal aging process. To really ensure that the problem is indeed Alzheimer’s, doctors rule out other possibilities and conduct series of tests. These may include brain imaging, neurilogical tests, physical exams and anything else the doctor feels will help determine if Alzheimer’s is the culprit.

Hopefully this article will help answer some questions you may have had.

Darlene