Alzheimer’s Information

You may be startled to learn that one in ten people over 65 have Alzheimer’s disease.  A recent survey finds that almost 19 million Americans suffer from this dreaded progressive disease.  Here are some facts about Alzheimer's which you may find useful .

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative neurological illness characterized by memory loss and declining thinking skills.  It is the most common example of a family of brain and memory disorders called "dementia". 

Alzheimers can lead to behavior changes, loss of language skills, disorientation, confusion and increasing dependency.  Although the cause of Alzheimer’s syndrome is still unknown, many experts believe it is genetic in origin.  Alzheimers is usually but not necessarily associated with old age.

What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimers?

The onset of Alzheimers  is often revealed through symptoms related to forgetfulness when growing old.   What distinguishes Alzheimers is the deepening severity - to the point that victims  eventually forget normal daily routines and the most basic tasks. 

For instance, Alzheimer patients may forget how to hold a spoon and fork while others forget the basics of personal hygiene like how to brush teeth, wash or bathe.  Some experts claim that the degeneration may extend to loss of subconscious skills - even how to breathe.

It is difficult to distinguish initial signs of Alzheimers from common  forgetfulness.   But what may start with simple forgetting of names and faces will progress to ever more profound difficulties eventually leaving the victim completely incapacitated.

Who is affected by Alzheimer’s disease?

Although there are cases of Alzheimer’s afflicting people in their 30s, most patients are over age 65 and amongst those over 85 the disease is common.  In addition to advancing age, it is observed that family history of dementia may predispose to the disease.  So a genetic  defect seems the likely common factor in susceptibility to Alzheimer's.

People not in the habit of mental pursuits or engaged in work requiring little mental effort are more likely to develop Alzheimers than  those  habitually flexing their mental muscles. In fact, one of the strategies to prevent or retard the onset of dementia is to exercise the brain constantly,  especially during old age.

Post retirement from work,  seniors are advised to actively employ their minds by following mental pursuits such as reading, solving crossword puzzles and playing word and board games.

How can we diagnose Alzheimer's Disease?

We have seen how difficult it is to distinguish ordinary forgetfulness from the onset of progressive dementia.   Also some Alzheimer symptoms such as slow reasoning and forgetfulness can be attributed to other problems including thyroid malfunction, reactions to medication, and normal aging effects.

To determine the presence of Alzheimer’s syndrome, doctors must  progressively eliminate other possibilities presenting similarly plus conduct a series of diagnostic tests.  Unfortunately, the only 100% conclusive way to determine the presence of Alzheimer’s remains post-mortem  examination of a brain tissue samples.    

Hopefully, improved diagnostic tests for Alzheimers can be developed because palliative medication is more effective when applied early.