Alzheimer's In Perspective

Getting To Know Alzheimer's Symptoms Better

Anyone who has any connection to Alzheimer's disease either as a medical professional, caregiver, family member or patient you know that the disease revolves around the symptoms. The diagnosis is made based largely on the symptoms the patient presents with and on any history that family members or other close friends can offer at the time the diagnosis process is occurring. Treatments are largely based on the cognitive and behavioral symptoms and can chance as the disease progresses and the symptoms intensify. It is imperative that all concerned parties understand as much as possible about the symptoms and the role they play in making the patient as comfortable as possible throughout the course of the disease.

The cognitive symptoms of Alzheimerís refer to those symptoms that are connected to the attention, decision making, learning, memory, perception, planning, problem solving and reasoning aspects of how our brain works. We use these cognitive abilities in everything we do from what we do around the house to tasks we do at our jobs or in our careers. Even daily living tasks like brushing our teeth, getting dressed, balancing the checkbook, planning, shopping and preparing meals all require cognitive skills to complete. When symptoms that include a degree of loss regarding ability to perform these above cognitive task the individual has difficulty functioning. It is this inability to function that differentiates normal aging symptoms of occasional memory lapse with the more serious symptoms of Alzheimer's.

The behavioral symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease have more to do with attitudinal stances, gestures the patient makes, the ability to physically move about, and the reactions the individual has to certain situations that are inappropriate.

Behavioral symptoms are different from cognitive symptoms and symptoms that relate to the emotional processes (our feelings) are still quite different from those mentioned above that are related to our cognitive or behavioral symptoms.

When diagnosing Alzheimerís the doctor will examine the patient for signs of other conditions or diseases that may cause the symptoms as well as to conduct some testing such as urine or blood tests. Scans such as CT and MRI may also be done to help make the diagnosis but the most important part of diagnosing the disease is still a good medical history including family history of Alzheimer's and the symptoms history that is presented by the patient, and close family members and friends that can describe symptoms that perhaps the patient is unable to communicate to the doctor (perhaps as a result of the disease).

The treatment of Alzheimerís disease addresses the nature of the symptoms and usually includes a combination of both medicated and non-medicated methods. The disease is also managed by looking at easing the symptoms for the comfort of the patient and to allow the patient to have as much independence as possible within a circle of safety and comfort.

Alzheimer The Elderly Most Common Dementia

There are quite a few dementia diseases but when it comes to the elderly, the one that stands out as the most common of those categorized as dementia in nature is, Alzheimer's disease (AD). Dementia is defined as being any medical condition that interrupts the way the brain normally works. The part of the brain that Alzheimer's interrupts is that of thought control, language and memory. Scientists are constantly learning new things about how this interruption affects the elderly and other Alzheimer patients but for now, scientists and other researchers have not isolated the cause for Alzheimer's Disease. This devastating disease affects approximately 4 million individuals who are suffering in just the United States. Typically the disease manifests itself at around age 65, which is why it is referred to as a disease of the elderly.

The population of elderly becomes more impacted as the population ages. By the time individuals are 85 or more, half of these individuals have AD. Unfortunately this statistics leads some to believe that AD is a normal part of aging, it is not. Alzheimer's is a disease and is not a normal part of the human condition. AD is a disease like other diseases, in that there are ways to identify it, and new studies that are being conducted to find prevention and treatments for AD.

Scientists have been able to identify "hallmarks of AD" within the brain that are senile or neuritic plagues and neurofibrillary tangles. There have also been identified other changes within the brain in individuals with AD that are not present in those of the same age who do not have AD. Those with AD have a loss of nerve cells in certain areas of the brain that are essential to good memory and mental abilities. There are also lower levels of brain chemicals that are necessary to carry messages back and forth from nerve cells to the brain receptacles that process thoughts and memories. These characteristics of AD block messages in the brain, which results in the manifestation of memory loss, and abnormal thinking processes as well as language loss.

Elderly individuals may experience the following symptoms if they are suffering from AD:

A slow progression of any of the following - difficulty remembering names, activities they have participated in, events that have occurred that they were previously aware of, familiar people and cognitive skills like the ability to work familiar math problems. When these symptoms first appear they may irritate the individual but usually do not cause too much of an alarm. As the disease progresses, as it is known to do, the symptoms will become more obvious not only to the individual but also to those around him or her. They soon start to forget how to do daily care tasks like, "how to brush teeth", or how to "take a bath, or shower". They start to have difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding what is being said to them. This may create such confusion that they can even become anxious or aggressive, or become so confused or forgetful that they wander away from home and other familiar surroundings. This progression of symptoms leads to a request for a diagnosis by the individual or those who care about the individual.

Alzheimer's Disease At A Glance

Much has been written about Alzheimer's disease. Information is available for the patient and the family members. Scientific data and study results are available for doctors and other medical professionals regarding the disease. There are some striking facts about the disease that stand out when you glance through the mountain of information about this very devastating disease.

Specialists treating Alzheimer's include neurologists, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, and psychiatrists, sleep professionals, physical medicine specialists and behavioral therapists. All of these specialists have their own spin on the disease from their own professional perspective. The patient and family members gather information not only from these specialists including the doctor and staff but also from books, magazines, and support groups and from the abundance of information available on the Internet. The information that stands out the most when glancing through all that is available about Alzheimer's disease is that:

The Disease:

It is incurable. There is no going back to better health. Memory will not improve, it will worsen and eventually all memory will be gone. Cognitive abilities will never go back to what they once were; in fact they will steadily decline. The patient's very personality and behavioral patterns will change and worsen over time. The disease is progressive in nature robbing the individual of all cognitive, and behavioral essence, leaving behind a shell of what the person was before the disease struck.

The Diagnostic Process:

There is no single conclusive test that can be done to determine that a person indeed has Alzheimer's disease. The diagnosis is made based on a history of symptoms, interviews from the individual and those who are close such as family and friends, findings from neurological examinations and other diagnostic tests some of which have been done to rule out other mental conditions or physical diseases.

The Treatment Process:

The treatment plan is designed around addressing the symptoms and making the patient comfortable and safe. The treatment plan changes with the progression of the disease. Treatment can include both medicated and non-medicated methods of addressing the needs of the patients and in an effort to minimize or manage the symptoms.

The Prognosis:

The Prognosis is that death will occur usually as a result of a complication of Alzheimer's such as an infection.

There is a gradual loss of independence, and a progressive loss of memory; cognitive skills and behavioral changes that will be nothing like the former individual.

Early diagnosis of the disease can buy more time for the individual, family and other loved ones because some medications may be able to slow the progression of the disease.

There is constant research being done to help improve how Alzheimer's disease is managed and to perhaps one day find a way to prevent or cure the disease.