Chances are you or someone you know, has had a family member affected by Alzheimer’s disease. While many people are familiar with the term, they are not always clear about exactly what it means. That’s understandable, as patients with Alzheimer’s often exhibit an array of signs or symptoms that can easily be confused with other conditions. It’s most commonly known as a brain disease since the brain begins to shrink as it progresses, causing a slow and sometimes very subtle decline in memory, thinking and most importantly, reasoning skills. Today, millions of people suffer from Alzheimer’s and while great strides are being made in research, it is still not clear about what causes it and how to prevent it. Open any newspaper and you will see there is growing attention being focused on the brain and the importance of doing whatever it takes to keep it healthy.
What Are The Symptoms?
Alzheimer’s can reveal itself in a number of subtle ways that can at first be attributed to other causes, but if you or a loved one seem continually moody, irritable or exhibits uncharacteristically poor judgment, it may be time to seek help from a physician.
There are four primary symptoms that physicians use to diagnose this disease that are commonly referred to as the “Four A’s of Alzheimer’s.” You can learn more here.
Amnesia:
Loss of memory is one of the most common signs and can at first be easily mistaken for being tired or distracted.
Aphasia:
We’ve all stumbled over our words once in a while, but when a person routinely can’t find the right words to use in a conversation (expressive) or continually misunderstands what is being said by others, they are exhibiting (receptive) aphasia.
Apraxia:
This symptom is much more severe and noticeable right away to others. It presents itself as a loss of voluntary motor skills, which can eventually cause the entire body to not function normally.
Agnosia:
This can affect all five senses and prevents a person from correctly receiving or processing information.
Has Any Progress Been Made?
Since first being discovered in 1906, millions of dollars have been raised to fund the crucial research that is needed to find treatment and even a cure. There are local, national and even global organizations that supply helpful information and online resources for patients, families and caregivers. For example, the Alzheimer Association “leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.” They work with researchers around the world by providing funds for actual scientific research, clinical trials and even brain donation. When researchers can compare the biology of healthy brains to those that have shrunk due to the effects of Alzheimer’s, they become one step closer to possibly treating and even curing this deadly disease. Potential donors can work with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to learn more about this process.
– https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-donation/brain-donation-gift-future-generations
Making Tough Decisions
Whether it’s you or someone close to you, starting to exhibit the early signs of Alzheimer’s, it’s tough to know what to do. Even if it’s a family member, they may be belligerent and resist seeing a doctor. This can be very unsettling and cause friction among relatives or even close friends. What should become a priority is making sure that the person experiencing these symptoms gets the needed medical attention before their poor judgements start to affect their overall health, their safety and even their finances. There may come a time sooner, rather than later when critical decisions need to be made such as changing their living conditions so they can be looked after round the clock. Alzheimer’s disease is frustrating enough on its own, but when you add in the conflicting emotions that are certainly tied to this, it can be overwhelming.
Getting educated is the first step in taking control. Once you have a clearer understanding of what you, or the person you are caring for could be experiencing, is when a plan can be put into place. Although most people only live eight to nine years after being diagnosed, some people have been known to survive for up to twenty years when they have the right support services in place.
The Alzheimer Association offers a vast amount of resources, so it’s a great place to start. Scheduling a visit to the doctor should not be put off any longer if you or someone near to you has any doubt about the symptoms that may already be presenting themselves.
-www.alz.org/
