What Is Alzheimers Disease
Dementia is the term applied to a group of symptoms that negatively impact memory, but Alzheimers is a specific progressive disease of the brain that slowly causes impairment in memory and cognitive function. The exact cause is unknown, and no cure is available.
Although younger people can and do get Alzheimers, the symptoms generally begin after age 65.
You Don’t Have To Be Scared
Forgetting how to work the thermostat in your home, being afraid to leave your neighborhood out of fear you might not get home, or misplacing your belongings so often that it hurts your ability to get out the door can all be particularly worrisomeespecially if a loved one expresses concern. If you’re worried, see your doctor, says Dr. Issacson. “Get educated, get informed, get evaluated,” he says. “The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier you can be treated. And the earlier you’re treated, the better you’ll do.” You can also help yourself by avoiding these sleep habits that are associated with a a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Symptoms & Treatment
Alzheimers is a progressive brain disease that is caused due to complex brain changes following cells to waste away, damage, and die. It slowly affects the brain causing impairment in cognitive abilities and memory. Alzheimers disease is progressive in nature and worsens over time.
The cause of this is unknown. In Alzheimers disease, there is a formation of abnormal structures in the brain, which blocks communication between the brain cells leading to the death of brain cells. It is not possible to diagnose someone with this disease with complete accuracy, but the patient is diagnosed as probable Alzheimers disease.
The symptoms of dementia and Alzheimers may overlap, but there are some differences. Similar symptoms include reduced ability to think, impairment in communication, and memory.
Symptoms of Alzheimers mostly include –
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What’s The Life Expectancy Of A Person With Dementia
Theres no easy way to answer this question. Dementia is an umbrella term that covers the many different types of underlying neurodegenerative diseases.
Each type of neurodegenerative disease has its own unique pattern and development in each person. Also, each person has a unique health profile. Some people may be relatively healthy and others may have several co-existing health issues. All of these factors play a role in the pace of decline in a person with dementia.
To answer more broadly, Alzheimers is the most common type of dementia. The average lifespan after the earliest symptoms is eight years. However, some people have lived as long as 20 years after an Alzheimers disease diagnosis.
Outlook For Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimers disease is one of the highest leading causes of death among senior citizens. Approximately one in three people, aged 65 and above, will die from Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia. It will kill more people than breast and prostate cancer.
The life expectancy for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease tends to vary depending on many factors average life expectancy is three to eleven years , but people can go on to live with Alzheimer’s for 20 years or more.
If the symptoms of Alzheimer’s show at the age of 75, they are likely to live for another seven years or so, post-diagnosis. But, if the symptoms affect someone around the age of 90 then they are likely to live for another three years, approximately.
Since Alzheimers is a progressive disease, the earlier the diagnosis is made and the earlier treatment begins, the better is the outlook for the patient.
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Risk Factors And Prevention
Although age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not an inevitable consequence of biological ageing. Further, dementia does not exclusively affect older people young onset dementia accounts for up to 9% of cases. Studies show that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline and dementia by being physically active, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol,controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Additional risk factors include depression, social isolation, low educational attainment, cognitive inactivity and air pollution.
Memory Loss Is Not An Inevitable Part Of The Aging Process
Contrary to popular belief that you get duller with age, the brain is actually capable of producing new brain cells at any age. Therefore, significant memory loss is not an inevitable part of aging. But just as it is with muscle strength, you have to use it or lose it. Your lifestyle, health habits, and daily activities have a huge impact on the health of your brain. Whatever your age, there are many things that can be done to prevent memory loss.
Furthermore, many mental abilities are largely unaffected by normal aging, such as:
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Signs And Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms develop gradually over many years and eventually become more severe. It affects multiple brain functions.
The first sign of Alzheimer’s disease is usually minor memory problems.
For example, this could be forgetting about recent conversations or events, and forgetting the names of places and objects.
As the condition develops, memory problems become more severe and further symptoms can develop, such as:
- confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places
- difficulty planning or making decisions
- problems with speech and language
- problems moving around without assistance or performing self-care tasks
- personality changes, such as becoming aggressive, demanding and suspicious of others
- hallucinations and delusions
- low mood or anxiety
Read more about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Whats The Difference Between Dementia And Alzheimers Disease
Dementia is a description of the state of a persons mental function and not a specific disease. Dementia is an umbrella category describing mental decline thats severe enough to interfere with daily living.
There are many underlying causes of dementia, including Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease. Alzheimers disease is the most common underlying cause of dementia.
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Stroke Vs Dementia: Differences Based On Their Symptoms
With stroke, the foremost presenting symptoms would be face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty. A number of stroke symptoms such as severe headache, sudden numbness, issues with vision like involuntary eye movements or double vision, trouble with balance or coordination, may present itself in combination with the foremost presenting symptoms.
Dementia is a longstanding issue. The symptoms of dementia present itself as forgetfulness, anger, agitation without cause, or dementia may be caused due to Alzheimers disease. Dementia is basically a broad term used for declining mental function and can present itself in the form of difficulty performing daily tasks, difficulty remembering things difficulty communicating and reasoning, difficulty with complex tasks, and/or difficulty being organized.
Symptoms Of Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Frequently losing or misplacing things
- Frequently forgetting conversations, appointments, or events
- Difficulty remembering the names of new acquaintances
- Difficulty following the flow of a conversation
When to see a doctor for memory loss
Its time to consult a doctor when memory lapses become frequent enough or sufficiently noticeable to concern you or a family member. If you get to that point, make an appointment as soon as possible to talk with your primary physician and have a thorough physical examination. Even if youre not displaying all the necessary symptoms to indicate dementia, now may be a good time to take steps to prevent a small problem becoming a larger one.
Your doctor can assess your personal risk factors, evaluate your symptoms, eliminate reversible causes of memory loss, and help you obtain appropriate care. Early diagnosis can treat reversible causes of memory loss, lessen decline in vascular dementia, or improve the quality of life in Alzheimers or other types of dementia.
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Memory Loss Related To Medical Conditions
Of course, its also possible that your parent is experiencing memory problems from something entirely different from dementia or age-related memory loss. There are several medical conditions that could be causing their recent fogginess.
According to the University of Michigan, these are some of the health conditions that can cause memory loss in older adults:
- Infections, such as a urinary tract infection, respiratory infection, or sepsis.
- Asthma or COPD.
- Mental health problems, such as depression.
- Thyroid problems.
- Prescription medication side effects.
This is why its so important to encourage your parent to speak with their doctor if you notice them displaying memory loss. It could be dementia, in which case youll be able to form a plan with your parent for future care, or it could be a health condition that needs to be properly treated.
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How Alzheimer’s Disease Is Treated
There’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but medicines are available that can help relieve some of the symptoms.
Various other types of support are also available to help people with Alzheimer’s live as independently as possible, such as making changes to your home environment so it’s easier to move around and remember daily tasks.
Psychological treatments such as cognitive stimulation therapy may also be offered to help support your memory, problem solving skills and language ability.
Read more about treating Alzheimer’s disease.
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Knowing The Differences: Alzheimer’s Vs Dementia
Knowing what causes Alzheimers Disease and dementia can be important to protect your health. While some might wonder which is worse, Alzheimers or dementia, the conversation is more complex than it seems on the surface. Knowing the truth can better prepare you for a future with one or both of these conditions.
First off, dementia is a group of symptoms. It is not a disease. Think of dementia as an umbrella term. Dementia is a brain disorder that affects mental tasks like memory, reasoning, and impairs thinking. Its often associated with the cognitive decline of aging and can be caused by a few different things such as Huntingtons disease, Parkinsons, or cannot be linked to any specific cause or ailment at all. Again, dementia is just the symptoms. Unlike Alzheimers disease, dementia can be reversed in some cases. Hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, Lyme disease, and neurosyphilis can all contribute to dementia and can be treated with drug interaction or vitamin supplementation.
The Challenges Of An Aging Global Population
Our elderly generation faces special physical and mental health challenges that need to be addressed to live a good standard of life. Mental health and well-being are important in all walks of life, but they become even more significant as we get older.
Seniors can face a myriad of health problems and disabilities. Mental and neurological disorders account for 6.6% of these. Other estimates suggest 15% of adults over 60 suffer from a mental illness. Therefore, it is important to ensure that people over 60 receive the right treatment, therapy, and care to fully function in their daily life.
Our elderly play a significant role in our communities, they provide us with a sense of warmth, love, and trust, as well as wisdom and knowledge to guide coming generations. If they are provided with the right care and treatment, they can be they can be happy and independent individuals who are vital members of the community.
Those over 60 are more likely to develop mental disorders, neurological disorders, and other types of disorders that can hamper mental and in some cases physical abilities. These mental health problems, coupled with any other medical conditions, such as diabetes, hearing loss, osteoarthritis, and/or any other physical illness, can further complicate matters.
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How Common Is Dementia
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 5 million U.S. adults age 65 or older have Alzheimers and related dementia. By 2060, the CDC projects that about 14 million people will have dementia, which is about 3.3% of the population.
Alzheimers disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the fifth leading cause of death in Americans age 65 and older.
Stroke Vs Dementia: Differences Worth Knowing
Oftentimes it is difficult for the onlooker to differentiate between a stroke and dementia. Both present as neurological conditions wherein the symptoms might seem similar and unless an expert in the medical field is consulted, the onset would go off unnoticed. Several overlapping symptoms make it difficult for the disease to present itself at first glance. Read on to get more information about the subtle differences between Stroke and Dementia.
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Where Mild Cognitive Impairment Fits In
Diagnosing and determining the type of dementia a person has can also get tricky because some people dont have full-blown dementiathey have what doctors refer to as mild cognitive impairment or MCI. With dementia, Dr. Scharre says, you often need other people to do activities for you that you used to be able to manage on your own , but with MCI, you can still do those things even if you need a bit of prompting. So youre forgetful, youre less efficient, and maybe you need verbal clues, but you can still do the function yourselfthats MCI, says Dr. Scharre.
Home Care Services For Your Loved One
When a loved one is diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as Dementia one of their family members tends to take it upon themselves to become the care at home caregiver. But eventually, you can get overburdened by 24/7 care and support. You’ll also likely feel guilty asking for help from others.
However, it is important to remember that there is no shame in getting professional home care services for your loved one when it starts to affect your well-being.
At Abney and Baker, we provide professional personal care facilities for your loved one diagnosed with dementia. Our dementia care providers ensure your family member feels safe and supported. This way, you can focus on other aspects of your life while having the peace of mind that your parent or relative is in safe and caring hands.
Our pricing is affordable, and the quality of care is second to none. See how other families have benefited from care and support at home with our home care services here.
For information on our award-winning Companionship Support Services in Melksham and Home Care Services across Melksham, Devizes, Calne and the Midsomer Norton area as well as Bath & North East Somerset, get in touch.
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What’s The Word For It
It’s normal to have trouble finding the right word sometimes. Or you might use a word the wrong way. Not to worry. But people with Alzheimer’s disease often start to have real trouble talking or writing. They might find it hard to recall the right term for familiar objects or the name of somebody they know well. If you’re struggling with names, words, or what to say next, it may be a sign of more serious memory loss.
You May Be Able To Prevent Alzheimers
We have the Alzheimers Prevention Clinic, and the fact that you can talk about those words together is advanced, says Dr. Isaacson. The clinic investigates how lifestyle choicesa healthy diet, exercise, social and mentally stimulating activities, as well as everyday habits, and ample sleep can markedly reduce your risk of Alzheimers. In fact, in a study in 2014 published in the Lancet Neurology,reducing certain risk factors can decrease the risk of Alzheimers by 33 percent. The most important ways to prevent Alzheimers: Control diabetes and high blood pressure, reduce weight if obese, stay active, treat depression, dont smoke, and stay in school. The Lancet, in a 2017 article, also notes that staying social and managing hearing loss have been shown to be among the controllable factors that may help prevent dementia. Dont miss these 50 other everyday habits that can decrease your risk of Alzheimers.
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How To Prevent Dementia
Just because your mom or brother developed a form of dementia, that doesnt mean youre destined to have it as well. The good news is that there are things that we can be doing in our life to reduce our risk, says Sexton. Keep activephysically active, cognitively active, and socially activeand reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Other known risk factors for dementia include obesity, hypertension, and diabetes so monitoring and managing those conditions can help. Of course, theres no guarantee, but its smart to do whatever you can now to lower the likelihood that you will suffer from dementia later.
This is an extremely active area of research, says Sexton. She says major discoveries are on the horizon in the areas of diagnostic blood tests for dementia, modifiable risk factors like air pollution, and risk factors that vary between different populations of people. So keep an eye out for news and check out these sites to see if you or a loved one qualify to participate in research studies.
Treatment Options Depend On The Type Of Dementia
There are virtually no FDA-approved therapies for dementia , but there are four medications that target Alzheimer’s, according to Dr. Isaacson. And while these drugs don’t stall disease progression , they can help control symptoms. Patients of Dr. Isaacson’s say these drugs may help for six to nine months, but many stay on them for the long haul because they help with behavioral symptoms such as agitation and aggression. “When you stop the medications, the psychological symptoms get worse,” he says.
As for other types of dementia, lifestyle changes may be the best option. Treatment for vascular dementia relies on doing things that are healthy for your arteries and heart: reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, and controlling diabetes. “Managing other chronic conditions is important,” says Dr. Isaacson. “Those are a great way to press the fast-forward button on dementia.”
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