Alzheimer’s Disease is Brain Disorder
Alzheimer’s Disease Begins Long Before the Mind Fails – What are the Early Warning Signs?
Alzheimer’s disease is brain disorder and the most common form of dementia that occurs in those aged over 65 (symptoms appearing earlier is called Younger-onset Alzheimer’s). Named after the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer who first diagnosed it in 1906, it is an incurable and terminal disease that progressively worsens over time.
Alzheimer’s destroys the brain cells leading to memory loss where sufferers are unable to remember recently learned facts, problems with thinking straight and behavioural difficulties that affects work, hobbies or social life. Problems with planning ahead, difficulty paying attention and apathy are also common symptoms. Alzheimer’s affects people differently; some will have more problems with basic motor functions (like writing with a pen) than with memory whilst others will have more trouble with speaking. The degenerative nature of the illness means that symptoms grow worse and sufferers will become increasingly dependant on others to do basic things.
Early warning signs include forgetting important dates or events and asking for the same information over and over again, difficulty completing familiar tasks like driving to a well-known destination, confusion about where one is, having trouble maintaining a conversation, losing things, withdrawal from social activities and changes in mood where sufferers become uncharacteristically anxious or fearful.
In the advanced stages of the dementia, the sufferer’s communication skills would have been reduced to short phrases or single words, eventually leading to a loss of speech, they will be completely dependant on others for help with feeding and bodily functions, and some will become increasingly violent or else completely bed-ridden. Sufferers don’t die from the disease itself but from factors caused by the disease like pneumonia or ulcers as a result of lying in the same position for too long.
Most instances of the illness are random and not inherited or linked to genetics in an easily identifiable way. Only 7% of the illness is classed as hereditary.
Treatments depend on the diagnosis, and doctors divide symptoms into either ‘cognitive’ or ‘behavioural and psychiatric’ categories. For cognitive symptoms, drugs like Donepezil and Rivastigmine are used to help with memory and communication, and Memantine helps to temporarily delay the worsening of symptoms. Non-medicated treatments of Behavioural problems- which include hallucinations and restlessness- include ensuring the sufferer is in a calm and comfortable environment and not arguing with them if they get things wrong. People with dementia are more likely to suffer from fatal side effects of drugs, so starting with just one medication is recommended, and one that is targeted at a specific symptom e.g. antidepressants to help with insomnia.
August 9th, 2009 at 1:53 am
WHEN MY AUNT WAS DIAGNOSED IT WAS EARLY ON, SHE WAS FORGETTING PLACES SHE ALWAYS DROVE TO, CONSTANTLY MISPLACING OR LOSING THINGS. SHE AND I WERE SO CLOSE ALL OF OUR LIVES, SHE ALWAYS COUNTED ON ME AND I ON HER. A SHORT TIME INTO HER DISEASE SHE STARTED TO DISLIKE ME, THE DOCTORS TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR A PATIENT TO TURN ON THE ONES SHE LOVED THE MOST. I WAS SICK ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HER CHANGED. SHE DID NOT DESERVE TO LIVE THIS LIVING HELL.