Alzheimer’s disease

Premier Medical Group’s Neurology division provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment of all adult neurological disorders that involve the brain and nervous system.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is characterized by a loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities. Alzheimer’s disease alters thinking, remembering, and reasoning that directly affects a person’s daily life and their activities. Over 6 million people in the United States age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Roughly 60% to 70% of the more than 55 million people in the world living with dementia are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease.

How does Alzheimer’s disease change the brain?

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A buildup of proteins in the brain is part of the early biological process that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. The proteins — taking the form of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles — cause the brain cells to die over time. The brain shrinks as a result.

Alzheimer’s disease initially damages the part of the brain involving the memory. It progresses to areas that control language, reasoning, and social behavior. Although these changes might seem to manifest out of nowhere and be scary, it is important to speak with a doctor once you notice changes in yourself or a loved one. Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease can result in your doctor recommending medicine or lifestyle changes to sustain your quality of life for longer.

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

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Alzheimer’s disease symptoms worsen over time. Early symptoms of the disease will include memory loss, such as difficulty remembering an event or recent conversation. You or a loved one may begin to notice:

Declining Memory

Memory loss as it relates to Alzheimer’s disease is permanent. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease may present with symptoms like:

  • Repetitive statements and questions
  • Misplacing items
  • Forgetting conversations, appointments, and/or events
  • Getting lost in familiar places
  • Difficulty finding the right words or expressing thoughts
  • Forgetting the names of loved ones and/or everyday objects

 

Changes in Thinking or Reasoning

It may be challenging for people with Alzheimer’s disease to:

  • Recognize numbers
  • Multi-task
  • Manage finances or balance checkbooks
  • Pay bills on time

 

Trouble Making Judgments or Decisions

Decisions that used to feel simple or obvious may become challenging or no longer possible for someone displaying symptoms of having Alzheimer’s disease. The disease can affect how you:

  • Make choices in social settings
  • Dress appropriately for weather
  • Handle food burning on a stove
  • Make decisions while driving

If you start to notice these or other cognitive changes in yourself or a loved one, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or a specialist sooner rather than later.

 

Difficulty Planning and Performing Common Tasks

Routine activities become more difficult as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. You may notice an increased difficulty when it comes time to:

  • Plan or cook a meal
  • Play a favorite game
  • Get dressed
  • Bathe yourself

 

Altered Personality and/or Behavior

Alzheimer’s disease commonly affects a person’s mood or behavior. Reach out to your doctor if you begin to notice sudden or unexplained symptoms, including:

  • Depression
  • Social withdrawal
  • A loss of interest in activities
  • A distrust of others
  • Mood swings
  • Unusual sleeping habits
  • Anger or aggression
  • Loss of inhibitions
  • Wandering
  • Delusions (like believing an item was stolen)

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease requires physicians to examine a patient’s medical history, as well as run mental status tests, physical and neurological exams, diagnostic tests, and/or brain imaging. Scheduling an appointment with a doctor today can get the process started.

What causes Alzheimer’s disease?

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in the scientific community that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a combination of factors, like:

  • Genetics
  • Lifestyle
  • Environment

The disease often begins years before an individual starts showing signs of symptoms. Doctors who study Alzheimer’s disease to determine its root cause focus on the role of the two proteins: plaques and tangles.

What are the risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease?

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There is no single risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, but there may be common underlying risks associated with developing the disease. These can be:

  • Advanced age: Alzheimer’s disease is not a natural part of the aging process, but the chances of developing the disease increase as you age.
  • Family history: There is a greater risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease if your parent or sibling was previously diagnosed with the disease. Genetic factors remain unknown.
  • Living with Down syndrome: Developing Alzheimer’s disease may be linked to having three copies of chromosome 21. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can appear 10 to 20 years earlier in people with Down syndrome.
  • Mild Cognitive Impairment: Having MCI puts individuals at a greater risk of developing dementia. Patients are encouraged to focus on exploring healthy lifestyle changes and a number of strategies to compensate for memory loss.
  • Sex Assigned at Birth: Women typically live longer than men, resulting in more women living with Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Head Injury: The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases based on the severity of a traumatic brain injury or if a person has multiple TBIs.
  • Air Pollution: Exposure to air pollution, like traffic exhaust and burning wood, is linked in studies to a higher risk of developing dementia.
  • Poor Sleep Patterns: Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or having sleep apnea may raise the risk of dementia in individuals.
  • Lifestyle Choices: Be mindful of certain lifestyle choices and how they affect your brain health. Excessive drinking, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, not enough exercise, or poor management of type 2 diabetes can contribute to an increased risk of dementia.
  • Hearing and Vision Loss: Wearing hearing aids and treating vision loss may help to protect people from getting dementia.

Lack of Engagement: Lifelong learning and social activities keep the mind stimu

What are the complications of Alzheimer’s disease?

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Memory loss and language loss may make it difficult for someone to communicate if they are experiencing health-related problems. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may struggle to:

  • Explain symptoms of another illness
  • Follow their treatment plan
  • Understand the side effects of medicine
  • Say if they are experiencing pain

Alzheimer’s disease can also affect a person’s ability to swallow, balance, and manage bladder and bowel movements. These late-stage effects of Alzheimer’s disease can cause:

  • Aspirating on food/liquid
  • Falls and fractures
  • Flu, pneumonia, or other infections
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Poor nutrition or dehydration
  • Bedsores

Speaking with your healthcare provider or a specialist about what support is available for people living with long-term dementia is recommended.

What treatments are available for Alzheimer’s disease?

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There is no prevention or cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are certain lifestyle changes that you can take to lower the risk of getting the disease. Following a heart-healthy lifestyle is one way to potentially reduce the risk of dementia. These adjustments may include:

  • Quitting smoking
  • Exercising regularly
  • Eating healthy (fresh produce, healthy oils, foods low in saturated fat)
  • Managing high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol

There are FDA-approved medications that are most effective for people in the early or middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Consult with a doctor before you make any significant lifestyle and/or medicinal changes to ensure your safety.

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