2. What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a silent killer.
It slowly and steadily causes the brain to deteriorate. Initially, a person with AD (Alzheimer's disease) could experience intermittent memory lapses with other symptoms like lack of proper judgment, an inability to express themselves properly, confusing views and, sometimes, changes in their personality.
Alzheimer's disease is very common in the twenty-first century, with more than eighteen million affected people all over the world. Alzheimer's disease destroys neurons and affects neurotransmitters of your nervous system. This harms normal functioning of the brain. Still, the exact cause for Alzheimer's disease is unknown and there is no cure for it at this writing.
It sounds depressing, and it is, but remember that the progress of this disease differs from person to person.
Common Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
These are high blood pressure, high homocysteine levels, family history of the disease, nervous disorders, difficulty in doing normal routine work, repetitive attitudes and losing interest in activities which were previously enjoyed.
Females get it more than men do.
They can take certain medications and supplements like Vitamin E capsules to slow down the progress of the disease.
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So far, not one single item can be taken or used which has shown a huge effect on AD
(Alzheimer's Disease.) However, there have been many tests that show a variety of things you can do to help offset the disease in different degrees.
Some changes in lifestyle and behavior patterns like:
¾ keeping a relaxed attitude
¾ listening to soothing music
¾ regular massage sessions
¾ spending time with pets like cats and dogs
¾ going for walks with friends or care-givers
¾ family counseling, and even
¾ bright light therapy.
Getting the disease diagnosed early can improve the treatment options.
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3. What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?
The brain begins to deteriorate long before they experience any single symptom of Alzheimer's disease.
There are a number of theories for the cause of Alzheimer's disease. But, it is most likely the cumulative effect of various factors. Different patients of Alzheimer's disease exhibit different symptoms of the disease; clinical, pathological, psychological, and effects on their nervous systems.
Factors thought to be responsible for the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease include: ¾ Genes: If you have a family history of Alzheimer's disease, there is a high chance of you acquiring it at some time. Your chances increase with the number of affected members in your family. Even if only one of your parents has Alzheimer's disease, your chances may be doubled or tripled for getting it over people who do not have it in their family history.
¾ Down's syndrome: If you have Down's syndrome or Trisomy 21, your chances for the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease increase. You might develop certain pathological symptoms, but may not show any clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
¾ Mutation chromosomes: The chromosomes 1, 10, 12, 14, 21 could cause Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes, late onset of the disease could be due to APOE gene variants on Chromosome 19.
¾ Age: Old age is synonymous with memory loss and other marked changes in behavioral and functional patterns. So, it is difficult to identify Alzheimer’s disease symptoms in old age. But, general failing health in old age is believed to contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
¾ Stress: Stress puts pressure on your nervous system, leading to development of free radicals. Such stress, specifically in old age, is a major cause for Alzheimer’s disease.
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¾ Injuries: Severe head injuries and trauma damage can disrupt normal blood flow to brain.
There, sensitive brain nerves are at immense risk because of the depleted blood flow and the result may be various fibrous tangles. Deposits of beta amyloid protein occur during head injuries, which do not allow easy blood flow. There are established links of such deposits with dementia symptoms. Hence, this could be an important cause for Alzheimer's disease. Other diseases like high blood pressure and blood sugar levels, stroke, atherosclerotic disease and diabetes also dislocate the blood supply to the brain, and can cause late onset of Alzheimer's disease.
¾ Female gender: As mentioned before, the incidence of Alzheimer's is higher in females.
One possible reason for this could be the loss of Estrogen hormones after menopause.
Hormonal imbalances are common during menopause and contribute towards the
occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in females.
¾ Education: low levels of brain activity such as with people that become “couch potatoes”
in front of their TV etc, may reduce their chances of avoiding mental deterioration and, possibly, Alzheimer's disease.
¾ Poverty: Poverty is another important cause of Alzheimer's disease, as you are unable to understand, diagnose, or take preventive steps to protect yourself against disease because of the lack of money, regular medical consultations and not even being aware of the risk of the disease and any protective measures that you might take. Vitamins are expensive and people on low incomes often do not get enough proper foods to maintain their health into old age.
Higher education may improve the thinking power of the brain and increase the functioning of your brain. Keeping your brain active may reduce the effects or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
An active brain also prevents the onset of dementia. Another effect of higher education may be to increase your standard of living and make you more aware of various diseases, their symptoms Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved
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and causes, as a well-educated person is more likely to read news and health journals and be exposed to what can happen to them in old age.
There are conflicting reports about two other possible causes of Alzheimer's disease. One is the presence of high aluminum levels in the environment and the other is smoking.
Some research findings were said to indicate that nicotine in the brain, due to smoking, might protect you against Alzheimer's disease but this has been proven false. Cigarettes are not good for you.
Earlier studies on animals and humans were reported to indicate that nicotine exposure inhibits the formation of amyloid plaque, a key feature of Alzheimer's disease.
However, a new study shows that chronic nicotine use may worsen the effects of a brain protein called tau, which is responsible for the fibrous tangles that are a hallmark of the disease.
So, any good effect in smoking would be more than canceled out, according to the latest research.
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4. Are You at Risk of Getting Alzheimer's Disease?
There are certain risk factors which are possibly related to the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease, although there is no certainty that they cause it. You need to be aware of them and take early measures to reduce the possibility of them helping to encourage the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Just remember that the apparent absence of any such risk factor does not protect you from Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s Risk Factors:
Age: Alzheimer’s disease is common among the elderly, mostly in the 65-85 year range. Most Alzheimer’s disease patients belong to this age group.
Because natural deterioration, due to old age, and Alzheimer's share many of the same symptoms, it can be difficult to detect Alzheimer’s disease in elderly people, many of whom tend to forget, lose, or misplace things. Alzheimer’s disease is possible but extremely rare in other age groups.
Genes: As with any other disease, hereditary factors pose a major risk for Alzheimer’s disease. If Alzheimer's disease is common among your family members, you stand a high chance of contracting it at some time. There are different specific genes in your body. One group is believed to help to prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease while another seems to accelerate its occurrence.
Mutations in genes, which could lead to dementia or other associated symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, occur in specific age groups.
Environment: High concentrations of zinc, aluminum and other metals may harm brain tissue.
Such deposits in the brain can affect easy blood flow and damage nerves, leading to Alzheimer's disease. Adequate proof of the risk element of such metals is available through brain autopsies of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
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Viruses: Scientists are also trying to establish links between certain viruses and Alzheimer's disease.
Dietary restrictions: You could reduce the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease by restricting your diet and excluding foods containing high levels of fats and sugar. It is best to consume simple, balanced and low-fat foods to keep your blood sugar levels normal. There are conflicting reports about the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease due to the intake of certain vitamins and fatty acids.
Cardiovascular risks: If you have cardiovascular problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, or you have had heart strokes, you stand a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease at some stage in your life. However, one ray of hope is that you can try to prevent its occurrence by changing your diet to include lots of fruits and vegetables, and lower your cholesterol levels.
And, don't forget that exercise also helps prevent vascular problems.
Alcohol: High and regular intakes of alcohol could damage your brain significantly and cause dementia, leading to Alzheimer’s disease. Restricted alcohol intake is more beneficial to your health.
Exercise: Regular exercise keeps all body parts and systems healthy and active, which can prevent or reduce the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.
Stress: High stress levels react negatively on your health and cause various problems.
Specifically, increased stress pushes hot blood to the brain and other parts of the nervous system, which often cause strokes and possibly Alzheimer's disease.
Hormones: Women have increased chances of acquiring Alzheimer's disease as their estrogen levels drop during menopause causing hormonal imbalances.
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Poverty and Education: Poverty is often the cause for lack of sufficient awareness about different diseases including Alzheimer's disease. People who keep their minds active with continual learning, increase their brain activity. This can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Medications: Studies indicate a possible connection between certain medicines and Alzheimer’s disease, although there is no conclusive proof. It could be due to the highly sedative effects of certain strong medications, which might later lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
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5. Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease and is difficult to detect in the early stages.
Alzheimer’s sets in slowly, with minor signs and signals at first. It gradually displays more serious symptoms until all aspects of the disease are manifest. The appearance of Alzheimer’s symptoms or signs do not necessarily indicate a particular stage of the disease. You should have a thorough medical examination of any changes in you that might provide clues of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
The early signs of Alzheimer’s disease are only able to be recognized by doctors who are knowledgeable about the disease.
You will only realize that you have it after clear symptoms begin to show.
POSSIBLE Indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease
Early Symptoms
• Absentmindedness
• Forgetting familiar names
• Unable to concentrate on anything
• Unable to recall events of a few hours ago
Developing Symptoms
• Puzzled feelings
• Loss of memory
• Forgetful of daily tasks like brushing teeth, washing hands or combing hair Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved
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• Unable to read or speak clearly and stammering
• Need to focus immensely to think about anything
• Unable to express yourself in ordinary conversation
• Difficulty in doing routine tasks involving muscular movements
• Confusion about normal routines leading to misplacing simple things
• Irritability
• Difficulty in proper vision or similar functions involving nerves of your body
• Unable to dress properly
• Cannot recollect date, day or time
• Disinterested in any previously enjoyed activities or interactions
• Difficulty in simple calculations like bill payments or groceries
• Unable to understand or grasp whatever is being read
Serious Symptoms
• Regular bouts of depression with indifference to everyone and everything
• Anxious feelings leading to uncertainty
• Aggressiveness leading to violence and physical abuse
• Bored and uninterested in doing anything
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• Straying from familiar physical surroundings, and unable to remember your house, location, or where any of your family members live.
• Arguing unnecessarily
• Marked changes in your personality
• Suspicious of everything and everybody
• Incontinence and unable to control body functions like bowel and bladder movements
• Unable to swallow edibles easily
• Total lack of any reasoning power
• Fully dependent on others for daily routine
• Some Alzheimer’s patients become bedridden, from being weak and vulnerable to associated diseases.
• Extremely uncooperative
These symptoms develop as damage to the brain disrupts its normal working and it becomes less able to control vital body functions. The disease progresses gradually.
It is best to look into treatment options in early stages. This will help you control advancement of Alzheimer’s disease while you are in a position to understand the implications of lack of treatment.
Otherwise, deterioration becomes faster. You cannot do much at later stages. It is very painful to watch as your loved one’s condition continues to get worse.
Although the average time span of Alzheimer’s disease ranges between six to eight years, it can, in reality, be anywhere from two to twenty years. The end is always in death, which could be also Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved
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be primarily due to other illnesses like heart diseases, pneumonia, or other old age problems.
Some patients die from such associated diseases before they reach the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
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6. Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
The Alzheimer's Association puts forward ten main warning signs as a checklist to educate all family members. This helps you to understand if anyone in the family may be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
You can then get further investigation by qualified medical people and more help if you or your loved one is showing the signs on this list:
Loss of Memory: It is natural for the elderly to forget some names or things. Sometimes, Alzheimer’s patients are unable to recollect recent events. One of the most common signs is when people do not remember any part at all of a memorable personal event.
Language and Communication Skills: Alzheimer’s disease patients lose their mastery over language and cannot communicate well. They use vague words which can be incomprehensible to others. They also forget simple words used in daily conversations. They cannot express themselves properly and clearly. Normally, old people fumble for words only occasionally. If you see your loved one stumbling more and more often, one possibility is that they might have A.D.
Regular and Routine Jobs: Alzheimer’s disease makes people incapable of planning or thinking about their daily routine. They cannot complete regular and normal tasks like making telephone calls, cooking a meal, etc. They turn ‘blank’ at times and cannot remember why or what they were doing or thinking of doing.
Impaired Judgment Capacity: Sometimes, old people make vague decisions. If you have Alzheimer’s disease, you are prone to making irrational decisions regularly - like giving away huge sums of money without reason or wearing improper clothing which is unsuitable for the weather conditions.
Personality Changes: A person's personality does change with age. As a person ages, they are much more sure of who they are and can become more dignified and command greater respect with age. However, people with Alzheimer’s disease undergo drastic personality changes like Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved
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becoming confused and dependent on family members, or suspicious of everything and everybody, or scared of everything.
Familiarity with Surroundings: Alzheimer’s disease patients forget their own neighborhood, lose their way and may wander anywhere. They may not be able to find their way back home or remember how they got somewhere. If you have a loved one with this disease, get them a bracelet with their address and phone number.
Reluctance to Do Anything: Alzheimer’s disease patients are disinterested in anything around them and they may sit in front of TV for hours at a stretch, but not even follow the program which they are watching.
Misplacement: Although it is common for you to misplace things at times, people with Alzheimer’s disease put things in the most unusual places like keys in refrigerator or a coin purse in a sugar bowl, or even in the garbage.
Abrupt Changes in Mood: Although you feel moody at times, patients with Alzheimer’s disease develop sharp changes in their moods.
Thinking Abilities: People with Alzheimer’s disease find it difficult to do mental calculations.
Most older people can keep their mental faculties sharp.
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7. The Stages of Alzheimer's Disease
The recorded progress of Alzheimer’s disease through different functional stages can act as a guide for caregivers to look after patients that have Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Reisberg developed the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) scale under seven major heads covering the progressive loss of functional abilities.
The 7 Different Stages are -
1. At this stage, you are a normal adult and have a perfect memory and functional ability –
no apparent symptoms or signs.
2. At the next stage, they show certain disabilities in their normal functioning, like being unable to recollect known names of family members or places. This is often attributed to be a normal characteristic of old age.
3. The third stage gives a clear indication of A.D. setting in. They are unable to locate their house or other familiar surroundings, get lost easily, cannot concentrate on anything, can’t remember recent events or names, have a sudden drop in performance levels at workplace and misplace things or even lose them without realizing it.
4. They progress to a more serious stage of the disease and cannot function alone. They need help with even simple financial transactions, cannot travel alone or even concentrate on anything. They develop marked changes in their behavior and mood patterns, and shy away from any sort of difficult situation.
5. Further inabilities develop during this stage of Alzheimer’s disease. They need help even for deciding what to wear. Although they may remember their family members and other associated information, they do not remember any recent events, names or other such information.
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6. This is a severe stage of Alzheimer’s disease. They need help in everything, even for bathing and toileting - with normal bowel and urinary functions. They undergo severe personality changes with aggressive and anxious behavior, which could also become violent at times.
7. This stage shows the most severe characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. They are unable to speak properly and it is difficult to understand what they do say. Simple functions like walking, standing, sitting or sleeping are beyond their control. Their brain cannot monitor any of their physical actions.
Although Alzheimer’s disease immobilizes them, caregivers should try to identify what an Alzheimer’s patient can do successfully and encourage those activities to lifts their patients’
spirits.
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8. What to Expect When Someone
has Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease progresses slowly but steadily. Although certain characteristics point to different stages of Alzheimer’s disease, no single symptom can pinpoint any particular stage. The appearance of the disease normally begins with the loss of memory and simple personality changes, which separates the patient from their usual social circles. They shy away from people and prefer solitude.
In later stages, Alzheimer’s disease manifests itself more noticeably. They develop problems in their thinking and other activities involving their brain. They cannot calculate as easily as before, and need help in understanding what others talk about or tell them.
A.D. victims also need help to manage their daily activities and routine. As they become less able to look after their needs, they become irritable and agitated.
They pick quarrels and arguments at the slightest hint. Their moods vary widely and they lack attentiveness to anything. They become very uncooperative. Slowly, they start to lose their capacity to look after their bowel or toilet habits and are then fully dependent on others to take care of them and their personal hygiene.
Alzheimer’s disease now shows as a serious ailment. They could develop associated illnesses like pneumonia or heart disease, due to overall weakness and disability. Although Alzheimer’s is fatal, the primary cause of most patients’ deaths are other illnesses and infections which are due to their vulnerable and sensitive body functions.
Alzheimer’s disease could develop fully within six to eight years. But, sometimes, some symptoms might be present for up to twenty years. Usually, late onset of Alzheimer’s disease results in death due to other associated illnesses and the patient dies before symptoms of the late stages of Alzheimer’s start to show.
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Despite all their disabilities, Alzheimer’s patients exhibit certain positive characteristics. They can sing well although they cannot talk comprehensibly. They can probably play decent tennis while they cannot play a game of chess. They cannot understand calculations or listen attentively but can read books and understand well. Caregivers need to focus on these positive features while looking after any patient with Alzheimer’s disease.
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9. Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease
Genes play a prominent role in Alzheimer’s disease, although the actual extent of their effect is still debated. It is evident that genes control and determine the color of eyes, hair and other traits in all living beings. However, genes do not function by themselves; they receive active help from other environmental characteristics. Genes depend on various physical and chemical features of their surroundings to give final shape to those traits.
Genes are present within the nucleus of every cell and build up a new protein with other molecules. The new protein should contain specific and appropriate DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Mutations in DNA could result in defective proteins, which might disable your body and cell functions. This may later lead to various irregularities and cause diseases, leading to death.
So, you might attribute Alzheimer’s disease to gene mutations. Most other gene disorders and diseases are due to irregularities in a single gene but Alzheimer’s disease may occur due to multiple gene disorders, not the work of any single gene. Multiple gene mutations, multiple chromosomes and defective genes of both parents could be part of the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.