Alzheimer’s disease: Everything you need to know

Alzheimer’s disease worsens over time. It is categorized as a continuous disease that results in symptoms worsening as time passes. The early stages of the disease result in mild memory loss. However, the late stages of Alzheimer’s are difficult for the patient and the people around them. This is because the affected individual loses the power to make conversation and is unable to respond to their surroundings.

The disease hinders all the basic skills needed for a human to function. A diagnosed person’s lifespan is 4-8 years on average. The disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the USA. Alzheimer’s disease affects the parts of the brain which are responsible for memory, thought, and language.

Causes

The exact reason behind Alzheimer’s disease has not been understood yet. Having said that, there is a variety of factors that can be the cause of the disease. These include family history. A person with a family history of getting the disease has a higher chance of getting it as well. Lifestyle factors related to heart diseases are another factor. Untreated depression is also one factor but it can also be counted as a symptom of the disease.

The reason behind the disease as devised by scientists is that there are billions of nerve cells in the brain which are connected. When an individual is diagnosed with the disease. These connections are disoriented. This is because proteins build up and abnormal structures called plaques and tangles build up in the brain. This results in the death of nerve cells and also results in brain tissue loss.

The brain carries chemicals that send signals to nerves telling them to do an action. A diagnosed person with Alzheimer’s disease has fewer chemical messengers in their brain. The consequence of which is signals not being passed on to the nerve cells.

The initial damage is done to the hippocampus. This part of the brain is important for forming memories.  The death of the neurons results in the consequences of other parts of the brain also being damaged slowly. The final stage of Alzheimer’s disease aggregates brain damage.

Symptoms

Alzheimer’s disease symptoms are very mild at the start, but as time progresses, it gets worse and causes hindrance in the day-to-day activities of the affected individual. This is because more brain cells get damaged over time causing the symptoms to worsen

Individuals who show signs of Alzheimer’s disease may have a problem figuring out what’s wrong with them. Symptoms would be more noticeable to the people around the affected individual. Not every individual has the same Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. But there are some common symptoms that every affected people would experience.

The most common first sign of Alzheimer’s disease is a problem remembering stuff. In the sense that they may not remember recent events and would struggle with acquiring information. The reason behind this is the damage to the hippocampus as discussed before. In the initial stage, short-term memory is affected but long-term memory is not.

In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the individual will experience a lot of mood swings. Anxiety, depression, and annoyance are common moods. They may lose interest in interacting with other people and would also lose interest in hobbies and activities.

As the disease progresses, Alzheimer’s disease symptoms include memory issues that would affect daily life. This may happen by the affected person forgetting dates and appointments.  forgetting people around them, losing items, and forgetting recent happenings in their life.

Alzheimer’s disease not only results in memory problems but also results in the development of other problems as well. Problems such as reasoning, perception, thinking, and speech.  Visuospatial skills are affected. Individuals may struggle to keep up a conversation or may repeat themselves. decision making, problem-solving or carrying out multiple tasks would be a hassle for the patient. These individuals may also become much disoriented.

Diagnosis

Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis can be extremely hard as the disease progresses over time.  People misinterpret the disease as forgetting things is part of the aging process. Alzheimer’s disease attacks older people which do not help differentiate if the memory problems are just old age or just the disease at play. The way the disease acts is also one reason why individuals may not recognize uniformity in their memory.

Timely Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses are very important. This is because it can give the individual enough time to think out the future. It may also prove to be helpful for treatments and for figuring out support systems.

If there is suspicion of someone being affected by Alzheimer’s they should get checked by a doctor.  No test can be used for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.

Suspected individuals must visit a general physician to rule out other conditions. Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is really different from normal diagnosis.  If the individual has the disease, then they would be referred to a specialist. This would help as the specialized doctor would look into the symptoms experienced in more detail. They would work on doing CT scans on the patient. Medical technology which incorporates all diagnostic medical imaging like CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging help doctors to access the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. And would also be greatly helpful by creating treatment and care plans.

The diagnostic imaging best suited for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is MRI or magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to develop pictures of the physiological and anatomical processes of the human. MRIs use powerful magnetic fields to form the images. And thus, the name Magnetic resonance imaging.  MRIs are really helped for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis because it allows accurate measurement of brain structures. And lays great importance on the size of the hippocampus which is the affected part of the brain. Diagnostic imaging networks prove to be of great help for conducting CT scans and different medical imaging.

Treatment

In today’s day and age, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Discoveries by scientists have led to a better understanding of the complex disease. Scientists are in the process of developing and testing treatments for Alzheimer’s. Several drugs are in late-stage clinical trials.

Numerous drugs are approved by the FDA. These drugs are used to manage Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. That being said, the FDA also approved aducanumab. This drug reduces amyloid deposits in the brain which allows to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Several clinical trials with the help of medical technology are still under process. These trials are targeting anti-amyloid and anti-tau intervention, neurotransmitter modification, anti-neuroinflammation and neuroprotection interventions, and cognitive enhancement, and interventions to relieve behavioral psychological symptoms. Research is going to see how the disease affects the brain. This would help come up with new effective treatments.

There is no known treatment for Alzheimer’s. However, over recent years, scientists have developed medical technology which may help in aiding patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  A device by the name MemorEM is one such medical technology. The device covers the head and has a strap around the chin. It releases electromagnetic waves which break up toxic proteins which are the reason for the disease.

Another medical technology miracle is being able to assess if the person has Alzheimer’s through a blood test. This medical technology enables doctors to make an early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. It also ensures timely and effective measures to be taken.

Functional Neuromodulation Vercise deep brain stimulation system is another great medical technology. This medical technology needs a surgical process that embeds electrodes into the brain. Electric pulses are delivered to areas of the brain to stop abnormal brain activity.

In conclusion, there is no treatment for the disease. There are a lot of things that can be done for the betterment of the patient. Drugs developed can help control symptoms can be administered. These drugs prove to help carry out daily activities.  Till then, it can be hoped that medical technology and innovation continue to try to help people with Alzheimer’s disease.

It is better to talk it out with medical professionals. This helps the person and the people around the person know and understand how to deal with the situation.

Weekly pillboxes or electronic reminders can be a great help for patients. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and counseling is also an effective option.  Being active mentally, socially, and physically can have a positive impact on the patient.

This May Be Done Through:

• taking regular walks,
• reading,
• joining activities like dancing and singing,
• doing puzzles,
• Doing art/ any creative hobby.

As the disease progresses, the individual will enjoy activities that make them reminiscence. Over a long period, the individual is more likely to become aggressive and agitated. These moods are signals to show that the individual is in distress. This may be due to pain, hunger, confusion, misunderstanding, and frustration.

The people around the individual must observe the patients very keenly and support them in any way they can. One way this can be done is by making sure that the patient has social interaction. If social interaction does not work then this does not work then a clinical psychologist must be contacted.