Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. It attacks and slowly steals the minds of its victims. Symptoms of the disease include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation, and loss of language skills. The most striking early symptom is loss of short term memory ( amnesia ), which usually manifests as minor forgetfulness that becomes steadily more pronounced with illness progression, with relative preservation of older memories. About 4.5 million older Americans have Alzheimer's, a disease that usually develops in people age 65 or older. Although there's no cure for Alzheimer's disease, researchers have made progress.
Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. Other genetic mutations that cause excessive accumulation of amyloid protein are associated with age-related (sporadic) AD. Dementia occurs in people with Alzheimer's disease because healthy brain tissue degenerates, causing a steady decline in memory and mental abilities. Alzheimer's disease ( AD ) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration together with declining activities of daily living and neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. Also, more drugs are being studied, and scientists have discovered several genes associated with Alzheimer's, which may lead to new treatments to block progression of this complex disease. The early symptoms of ,AD which include forgetfulness and loss of concentration, are often missed because they resemble natural signs of aging. Genetic factors are known to be important, and dominant mutations in three different genes have been identified that account for a much smaller number of cases of familial, early-onset AD . There also are lower levels of some of the chemicals in the brain that carry messages back and forth between nerve cells.
Causes of Alzheimers Disease
The common Causes of Alzheimers Disease :- Everyone has one of the 3 forms of the apoE gene while one form seems to protect from AD, another form seems to increase the risk of developing the disease.
- While age is a risk factor for the disease, age alone does not seem to cause it.
- Although the ultimate cause of neuron death in Alzheimer's isn't known, mounting evidence suggests that a form of beta-amyloid protein may be the culprit.
- Probably there are other genes that contribute to Alzheimer disease, but we haven't found them yet.
Symptoms of Alzheimers Disease
Some common Symptoms of Alzheimers Disease :- Lack of concentration
- Poor or decreased judgement
- Apraxia (inability to perform physical tasks such as dressing, eating)
- Confusion about time and place
- Aphasia (loss of ability in comprehension of spoken or written language)
- Difficulty in performing everyday tasks
- Restlessness
- Problems with language
- As the disease progresses to the middle stage , the patient might still be able to perform tasks independently, but may need assistance with more complicated activities.
Treatment of Alzheimers Disease
Here is the list of the methods for treating Alzheimers Disease :- Relieve cognitive dysfunction to improve memory, language, attention and orientation doctors may prescribe precursors, cholinesterase inhibitors and cholinergic receptor agents.
- Slow the rate of illness progression, thereby preserving quality of life and independence
- Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs
- Your tolerance for specific medicines, procedures, and therapies
- Some health professionals try to encourage patients to reminisce about past memories as a way to reduce depression without the use of drugs.
- Also, other medications may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.
- These include techniques known as reality orientation, reminiscence therapy and validation therapy art and music therapies are also used, but their effectiveness is not proven.
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