Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic (lifelong), progressive disease characterized by degeneration of the brain’s nervous tissue. It sets in gradually and typically presents in older people.
Prevalence
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia globally, accounting for 60 – 70% of all cases. According to the WHO, in 2019 there were 50 million people around the world with dementia, and the annual total for new cases was around 10 million.
Prevention
The factors that can protect against developing Alzheimer’s disease include physical exercise, mental exercises, and breathing exercises that increase oxygen flow to the brain.
Dementia vs Alzheimer’s
Dementia is not a solitary disease but a syndrome—a collection of symptoms that generally occur at the same time.
| Dementia | Alzhiemers |
| Dementia is characterized by a progressive, usually irreversible decline in thinking, behavior, feelings, and ability to communicate. | Alzheimer’s is a gradual breakdown of brain tissue which affects a person’s mental state and behavior and progresses to affecting speaking, walking, and swallowing. |
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic (lifelong), progressive disease characterized by degeneration of the brain’s nervous tissue. It sets in gradually and typically presents in older people.
Prevalence
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia globally, accounting for 60 – 70% of all cases. According to the WHO, in 2019 there were 50 million people around the world with dementia, and the annual total for new cases was around 10 million.
Prevention
The factors that can protect against developing Alzheimer’s disease include physical exercise, mental exercises, and breathing exercises that increase oxygen flow to the brain.
Dementia vs Alzheimer’s
Dementia is not a solitary disease but a syndrome—a collection of symptoms that generally occur at the same time.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease:
Alzheimer’s disease typically starts with the individual experiencing or displaying mild symptoms that often qualify as those expected with older people. As the person continues to age, these symptoms will usually worsen to the point that they impact that person’s ability to function normally in everyday life.
Early indicators typically start out with a person experiencing issues recollecting:
Each person with Alzheimer’s is different, so their dominant symptoms, their severity, and the person’s capability to function will vary. Early on, the symptom most commonly seen with Alzheimer’s disease is a reduction in a person’s ability to remember specifics about recent events, and/or an impairment in regards to storing new details or information.
Typically, once it progresses past the initial stage, different parts of the cerebral cortex will begin to be impacted, which will have ramifications on some or all of the following:
Progression
As the disease progresses, there is an accumulation of abnormal structures in the brain called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which are the universal hallmarks of the condition. These interfere with the healthy functioning of the brain and cause irreversible and progressive brain damage.
The disease process also causes breakdown of an important neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine that signals other cells in the parasympathetic nervous system — affecting movement, glands, thinking, memory, blood vessels, and heart rate.
It is not uncommon for people experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s to be unaware of the specifics of the challenges they start facing, and it is generally something more likely to be obvious to a family member or a friend. An individual with Alzheimer’s may eventually become totally reliant on their family’s support or require professional residential care. Typical life expectancy following the onset of diagnosis is between three to nine years.
Risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease:
Environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors, and an individual’s age all play into increasing one’s risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer’s.
Factors presenting increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease:
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease:
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s relies heavily on documented evidence of an individual’s mental decline, but the hope in the medical community is that methods of diagnosis will become more specific so they don’t have to wait until the irreversible damage has already begun before they can verify its presence.
Included in the testing for Alzheimer’s are the following:
Work is underway to create more standard definitions for MCI, and to determine which MCI-related biological changes can be detected, and what testing for mental status best serves to provide early detection.
For those or a loved one experiencing questionable symptoms, seeing a doctor sooner rather than later can make a significant quality of life difference, and a nearby chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association can provide guidance.
Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease:
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, so efforts are focused on managing and slowing symptoms as it progresses. A multidisciplinary team comprised of a psychiatrist, family doctor, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and psychologist provide a holistic approach in the management of dementia.
Functional support – is crucial so as to maximize mobility and to encourage independence with basic skills like washing, toileting, and feeding.
Emotional support – for the person includes:
Physical support for the person includes:
Medications can be prescribed to help with memory, sleep issues, and behavior. Medications for treating confusion, memory loss, or other cognitive impairments fall into two groups:
The associated potential adverse side effects of both usually require patients to be monitored closely by a psychiatrist.
A doctor could also prescribe other medications for coexisting conditions.
Alternative treatments – include medical foods, nutritional supplements, and herbal remedies. Because these are not regulated by the FDA, check the effectiveness and side effects of an item based on reviews from users.
The foods thought to increase acetylcholine production and lower the neurotoxic homocysteine are beef fish, eggs, chicken, dairy products, and some cruciferous vegetables, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
The only two supplements that have shown in medical studies to possibly make a small difference are:
Self-Care for Caregivers
Recent advances have dramatically improved intervention methods as well as early diagnosis, and there are tremendous benefits from tools like:
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease:
Alzheimer’s disease typically starts with the individual experiencing or displaying mild symptoms that often qualify as those expected with older people. As the person continues to age, these symptoms will usually worsen to the point that they impact that person’s ability to function normally in everyday life.
Early indicators typically start out with a person experiencing issues recollecting:
Each person with Alzheimer’s is different, so their dominant symptoms, their severity, and the person’s capability to function will vary. Early on, the symptom most commonly seen with Alzheimer’s disease is a reduction in a person’s ability to remember specifics about recent events, and/or an impairment in regards to storing new details or information.
Typically, once it progresses past the initial stage, different parts of the cerebral cortex will begin to be impacted, which will have ramifications on some or all of the following:
Progression
As the disease progresses, there is an accumulation of abnormal structures in the brain called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which are the universal hallmarks of the condition. These interfere with the healthy functioning of the brain and cause irreversible and progressive brain damage.
The disease process also causes breakdown of an important neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine that signals other cells in the parasympathetic nervous system — affecting movement, glands, thinking, memory, blood vessels, and heart rate.
It is not uncommon for people experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s to be unaware of the specifics of the challenges they start facing, and it is generally something more likely to be obvious to a family member or a friend. An individual with Alzheimer’s may eventually become totally reliant on their family’s support or require professional residential care. Typical life expectancy following the onset of diagnosis is between three to nine years.
Risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease:
Environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors, and an individual’s age all play into increasing one’s risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer’s.
Factors presenting increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease:
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease:
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s relies heavily on documented evidence of an individual’s mental decline, but the hope in the medical community is that methods of diagnosis will become more specific so they don’t have to wait until the irreversible damage has already begun before they can verify its presence.
Included in the testing for Alzheimer’s are the following:
Work is underway to create more standard definitions for MCI, and to determine which MCI-related biological changes can be detected, and what testing for mental status best serves to provide early detection.
For those or a loved one experiencing questionable symptoms, seeing a doctor sooner rather than later can make a significant quality of life difference, and a nearby chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association can provide guidance.
Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease:
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, so efforts are focused on managing and slowing symptoms as it progresses. A multidisciplinary team comprised of a psychiatrist, family doctor, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and psychologist provide a holistic approach in the management of dementia.
Functional support – is crucial so as to maximize mobility and to encourage independence with basic skills like washing, toileting, and feeding.
Emotional support – for the person includes:
Physical support for the person includes:
Medications can be prescribed to help with memory, sleep issues, and behavior. Medications for treating confusion, memory loss, or other cognitive impairments fall into two groups:
The associated potential adverse side effects of both usually require patients to be monitored closely by a psychiatrist.
A doctor could also prescribe other medications for coexisting conditions.
Alternative treatments – include medical foods, nutritional supplements, and herbal remedies. Because these are not regulated by the FDA, check the effectiveness and side effects of an item based on reviews from users.
The foods thought to increase acetylcholine production and lower the neurotoxic homocysteine are beef fish, eggs, chicken, dairy products, and some cruciferous vegetables, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
The only two supplements that have shown in medical studies to possibly make a small difference are:
Self-Care for Caregivers
Recent advances have dramatically improved intervention methods as well as early diagnosis, and there are tremendous benefits from tools like: