Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative progressive disorder of brain and the most common form of dementia. Most probably all the intellectual functions are affected due to irreversible loss of neurons. Few cases has permanent disturbance in learning and memory functions.

 

Alzheimer’s disease was named after a doctor named Aloysius Alzheimer, a German Neuropathologist he is the one who identified this form of dementia in the year 1906.

What causes Alzheimer’s:

 

This disease has an unknown cause. The nerve cells are permanently damaged to cause the intellectual functions to drop. Mainly the memory power, learning ability, concentration, reasoning, are affected.

 

Most probably aging plays a role in causing Alzheimer.

 

In some cases it is due to presence of particular genetic risk factor. It can have familial history.

 

Some syndromes like Down syndrome can be a cause and risk factor for Alzheimer.

 

Few other risk factors are:

 

Elevated cholesterol level

 

Elevated blood pressure

 

Elevated blood sugar level – diabetes

 

Various heart related diseases like coronary heart diseases

 

Women are most likely to be affected by this brain disease

 

Exposure to toxic chemicals irritating to the brain activity

 

Severe head injuries

 

Poor mental activities can affect brain cells

 

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease:

 

First and foremost is the permanent loss of memory and trouble in recovering the current actions

 

Disturbance in the learning process

 

Disturbance in the recognizing process

 

Disturbance in forming few words for pointing to particular objects

 

Difficulty in concentration

 

Cant able to produce a logical reasoning

 

Delay in decision making

 

Sever psychological problems like depression and anxiety

 

Some find difficulty in doing their habitual work

 

Seems to be lost something in life, their personality is changed and mood swings

 

Some have disturbances in sleeping pattern

 

Test and diagnosis:

 

Doctors can do no tests to find Alzheimer’s directly. Only through the patients history of cause and symptoms seen doctors can come too some conclusions.

 

Physical tests:

 

In these physical type of tests doctors

 

Check for the reflex actions

 

Check for the change in muscle tone

 

Check for the coordination of the patient

 

Check for the balancing abilities

 

Check for the daily routine activities

 

Check for the sensations like touch and light

 

Intellectual type tests:

 

Check for the remembering ability of the patient

 

Check for the patients reaction to particular task assigned

 

Check for his learning abilities

 

Check the spelling ability pointing on certain objects

 

Ask questions on daily routines to perform

 

Counting back technique

 

Check for writing ability

 

There are few neuropsychological tests to differentiate it from other forms of dementia.

 

Scanning:

 

CT SCAN, MRI SCAN and PET SCAN are the common scanning done to rule out the other factors like tumors, head injuries related disease and other brain diseases.

 

Scan can show the shrinkages in the brain region to locate the intellectuals affected and differentiate from other dementias

 

Treatment for Alzheimer’s:

 

Medications available must be taken only after the doctor`s prescriptions

 

Most commonly used drugs are

 

Cholinesterase inhibitors – these are the commonly used drug to reduce the decline in the mental capabilities of the patient. These mainly stimulate the nerve cells by increasing the production of the acetylcholine.

 

Glutamate antagonist

 

These drugs also stimulate nerve cells by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitters. Most commonly used drugs are memantine.

 

Apart from drugs various life style changes are needed to be implemented to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Creating a safer environment for them

 

Avoiding the confusing situations they face

 

Maintain an exercise pattern according to the ability of the patient to improve them. Mainly the physiotherapists are involved in the recovery process.

 

Including a nutritious diet suitable for the patient according to the advice of the doctors

 

Proper treatment for the psychological conditions like depression and anxiety

 

Avoid things that disturb sleeping pattern

 

Try to change the behavior by the behavior therapy

 

Maintain the hearts health

 

Maintain the abilities to make the intellectual to recover

 

Prevention of Alzheimer’s:

 

Few possible ways to reduce the risk of occurrence of Alzheimer are follows

 

Eat nutritious food to maintain hearts health

 

Keep a routine exercise plan or engage in physical activity daily by some mode

 

Keep the brain active daily by engaging in some mind activities

 

Keep yourself well educated all time

 

Keep your blood sugar under control

 

Always try to engage in some social activities

 

Reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure

 

Conclusion:

 

Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable disease. It can only be slowed down. Person with this disease seems to be more of the emotional imbalance. So care is more important for them emotionally.

 

This disease is irreversible and till now no proven cause has been found. So awareness is the only mode to prevent the onset of this disease.