Alzheimer

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that gradually destroys parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language, making it hard for a person to perform daily tasks. In later stages, Alzheimer's also affects personality and behavior.

Alzheimer's is also the most common form of dementia, a term that describes a group of brain disorders that destroy brain cells and lead to decline of mental function.

Signs and Symptoms

The early and most common sign is forgetfulness, severe enough to affect daily activities. Other common Alzheimer's symptom includes confusion, getting lost in familiar places, and difficulty with language. 

The Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) provides a checklist of 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease:

1. Memory loss, particularly of most recently learned information.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
3. Speech problems.
4. Disorientation to time and place.
5. Poor judgment.
6. Difficulty with complex mental tasks.
7. Misplacing things.
8. Rapid mood swings.
9. Becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on another person.
10. Very passive behavior.

More about Alzheimer

Causes and Risk Factors

Studies indicate that Alzheimer's disease has no known single cause. However, how it develops may be attributed to several factors: 

• Age - The likelihood of developing AD increases at age 65 and doubles every five years thereafter.
• Family history - A person with a parent, brother or sister with AD may more likely develop the disease, and the risk increases if more than one family member has it.
• Genetics - Two categories of genes have been linked to AD, risk genes (apoliprotein E-e4), and rare, deterministic genes.
• Serious head injuries
• Heart-head connection
• Healthy aging - Overall healthy aging offers some protection against developing AD and other geriatric diseases in general.

Diagnosis

The good news is, a good doctor can diagnose Alzheimer's disease at 90% accuracy. If one or more of the symptoms show, consult a doctor and provide a complete medical history. Other forms of diagnosis include:

• Thorough physical examination and diagnostics
• Mental status evaluation
• Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and mini-cog
• Neurological examination
• Brain imaging

Treatment Approach

There is no known cure for Alzheimer's disease at this time. Treatment options are only intended for managing the progression and symptoms of AD.

Alzheimer's treatment involves both medication and caregiving.

Alzheimer Medications

• Aricept
• Memantine