What is Alzheimers Disease?

AccordingtotheCenterforDiseaseControl,Alzheimersdiseaseisacommoncauseofdementiacausing
asmanyas60to80%ofalldementiacases.Infact,Alzheimersisaveryspecificformofdementia.
SymptomsofAlzheimersincludeimpairedthought,impairedspeech,andconfusion.Alzheimersisafatal
diseaseofthebrainthatiscurrentlyaffectingover5millionAmericans.Alzheimersisthe7 thleading
causetodeath.
Onsetismostcommoninindividualsaged65andover,althoughpeopleintheir40sand50scandevelop
whatisclassedasearlyonsetAlzheimer's.
Alzheimer'stobethemostchallenginganddistressingeffectofthedisease.Thechiefcauseof
behavioralsymptomsistheprogressivedeteriorationofbraincells.

24 million Alzheimers patients worldwide now

and it is expected to rise dramatically in the following years
There are 7 stages through the slowly progressive disease of
Alzheimers.
Many may questions why, when there is nothing you can do to prevent.
However, here is a treatment that will be offered to the patients.
I believe early diagnosis is important , irritability, anxiety, depression
Stage1:

Noimpairment(normalfunction)
Thepersondoesnotexperienceanymemoryproblems.Aninterviewwithamedical
professionaldoesnotshowanyevidenceofsymptomsofdementia.

Stage2:

Verymildcognitivedecline(maybenormalagerelatedchangesorearliestsignsof
Alzheimer'sdisease)
Thepersonmayfeelasifheorsheishavingmemorylapsesforgettingfamiliarwordsor
thelocationofeverydayobjects.Butnosymptomsofdementiacanbedetectedduringa
medicalexaminationorbyfriends,familyorcoworkers.

Stage3:

Mildcognitivedecline(earlystageAlzheimer'scanbediagnosedinsome,butnotall,
individualswiththesesymptoms)
Friends,familyorcoworkersbegintonoticedifficulties.Duringadetailedmedical
interview,doctorsmaybeabletodetectproblemsinmemoryorconcentration.Common
stage3difficultiesinclude:

Noticeableproblemscomingupwiththerightwordorname

Troublerememberingnameswhenintroducedtonewpeople

Havingnoticeablygreaterdifficultyperformingtasksinsocialorworksettings
Forgettingmaterialthatonehasjustread

LosingormisplacingavaluableobjectIncreasingtroublewithplanningor

organizing
Stage4:

Stage5:

Moderatecognitivedecline
(MildorearlystageAlzheimer'sdisease)
Atthispoint,acarefulmedicalinterviewshouldbeabletodetectclearcutsymptomsin
severalareas:

Forgetfulnessofrecentevents

Impairedabilitytoperformchallengingmentalarithmeticforexample,counting
backwardfrom100by7s

Greaterdifficultyperformingcomplextasks,payingbillsormanagingfinances

Forgetfulnessaboutone'sownpersonalhistory

Becomingmoodyorwithdrawn,especiallyinsociallyormentallychallenging
situations

Moderatelyseverecognitivedecline
(ModerateormidstageAlzheimer'sdisease)
Gapsinmemoryandthinkingarenoticeable,andindividualsbegintoneedhelpwith
daytodayactivities.Atthisstage,thosewithAlzheimer'smay:

Beunabletorecalltheirownaddressortelephonenumberorthehighschool
orcollegefromwhichtheygraduated

Becomeconfusedaboutwheretheyareorwhatdayitis

Havetroublewithlesschallengingmentalarithmetic;suchascounting
backwardfrom40bysubtracting4sorfrom20by2s

Needhelpchoosingproperclothingfortheseasonortheoccasion

Stillremembersignificantdetailsaboutthemselvesandtheirfamily

Stillrequirenoassistancewitheatingorusingthetoilet

Presents severe gaps in memory and judgment. Safety and personal

hygiene become major issues. Alzheimers patients will need
assistance to manage day-to-day with all activities such as toileting,
bathing, dressing, and eating. Their conversations may be repetitive or
become fixation on one subject. They no longer have the ability to
understand complex ideas. However, they can usually remember
significant details about themselves and their lives.

Stage 6 Severecognitivedecline
(ModeratelysevereormidstageAlzheimer'sdisease)
Memorycontinuestoworsen,personalitychangesmaytakeplaceand
individualsneedextensivehelpwithdailyactivities.Atthisstage,
individualsmay:
Loseawarenessofrecentexperiencesaswellasoftheirsurroundings
Remembertheirownnamebuthavedifficultywiththeirpersonalhistory
Distinguishfamiliarandunfamiliarfacesbuthavetroublerememberingthe
nameofaspouseorcaregiver
Needhelpdressingproperlyandmay,withoutsupervision,makemistakes
suchasputtingpajamasoverdaytimeclothesorshoesonthewrongfeet
Experiencemajorchangesinsleeppatternssleepingduringthedayand
becomingrestlessatnightThey may become restless or agitated
in the late afternoon or early evening, an experience often
called sundowning. Experts estimate that in late stages of
Alzheimers, individuals spend about 40 percent of their time
in bed at night awake and a significant part of their daytime
sleeping.
Needhelphandlingdetailsoftoileting(forexample,flushingthetoilet,
wipingordisposingoftissueproperly)
Stage 7 Final Stage
Final stage of this devastating disease. Complete care is required. The
patient will not recognize their surroundings or themselves. They will
lose the ability to walk, hold their head up, or communicate in a
meaningful manner. The patients muscles will become rigid. They will
also slowly lose their ability to swallow. They can hold their saliva in
mouth and not swallowing

Have you noticed any of these warning signs?

1.Memory loss that disrupts daily life. forgetting recently learned information.
forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over
and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic
devices) Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering
them later.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. A person AD remove from
hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. trouble keeping up with a
favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They

may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.
feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.
10. Changes in mood and personality. The mood and personalities of people
with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious,
depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work,
with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone. What's
typical? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable
when a routine is disrupted.
5. Trouble understanding visual images. having vision problems is a sign of
Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and
determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror
and think someone else is in the room.
They may not recognize their own reflection.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Some people may experience
changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers.
They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly
bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do
things than they did before. What's typical? Making occasional errors when
balancing a checkbook.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. People with Alzheimer's
may have trouble following or joining a conversation.
stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or
they may repeat themselves.
struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things
by the wrong name (e.g., calling a watch a "hand clock"). having trouble
finding the right word.

Further understanding of what exactly causes Alzheimers disease will help to clear
any confusion and hopefully lead to better treatments plans and, ultimately, a cure.
It's important to work closely with your doctor and other members of your health care team to
create the best treatment plan for you or the person in your care. Your treatment goals are likely
to change during your journey with Alzheimer's disease. Make sure you understand all the
available options and the benefits and risks of each choice as your treatment plan evolves.
An optimal treatment plan will take into account your:

Age and overall health

Current treatment goals

Severity of symptoms and their impact on your life

Living situation and availability of family members and caregivers

Non-drug treatments for sleep changes

Nondrugtreatmentsaimtoimprovesleeproutineandthesleepingenvironmentandreducedaytime
napping.Nondrugcopingstrategiesshouldalwaysbetriedbeforemedications,sincesomesleep
medicationscancauseserioussideeffects.Tocreateaninvitingsleepingenvironmentandpromoterestfor
apersonwithAlzheimers:

Maintain regular times for meals and for going to bed and getting
up

Seek morning sunlight exposure

Encourage regular daily exercise, but no later than four hours

before bedtime

Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine

Treat any pain

If the person is taking a cholinesterase inhibitor (tacrine,

donepezil, rivastigmine or galantamine), avoid giving the
medicine before bed

Make sure the bedroom temperature is comfortable

Provide nightlights and security objects

If the person awakens, discourage staying in bed while awake;

use the bed only for sleep

Discourage watching television during periods of wakefulness

Medications for early to moderate stages

All of the prescription medications currently approved to treat Alzheimers
symptoms in early to moderate stages are from a class of drugs called
cholinesterase inhibitors. Cholinesterase inhibitors are prescribed to treat
symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment and other thought
processes.

Prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine (a-SEA-til-KOH-lean), a chemical

messenger important for learning and memory. This supports communication
among nerve cells by keeping acetylcholine levels high.
Delay worsening of symptoms for 6 to 12 months, on average, for about half
the people who take them.
Are generally well tolerated. If side effects occur, they commonly include
nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel
movements.
Three cholinesterase inhibitors are commonly prescribed:
Donepezil (Aricept) is approved to treat all stages of Alzheimer's.
Rivastigmine (Exelon) is approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's.
Galantamine (Razadyne) is approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's.
Tacrine (Cognex) was the first cholinesterase inhibitor approved. Doctors rarely
prescribe it today because it's associated with more serious side effects than the
other three drugs in this class.

Medication for moderate to severe stages

A second type of medication, memantine (Namenda) is approved by the FDA
for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimers.
Memantine is prescribed to improve memory, attention, reason, language and the
ability to perform simple tasks. It can be used alone or with other Alzheimers
disease treatments. There is some evidence that individuals with moderate to severe
Alzheimers who are taking a cholinesterase inhibitor might benefit by also taking
memantine. Donepezil (Aricept) is the only cholinesterase inhibitor approved to treat
all stages of Alzheimers disease, including moderate to severe.
Memantine:

Regulates the activity of glutamate, a different messenger chemical involved

in learning and memory.

Delays worsening of symptoms for some people temporarily. Many experts

consider its benefits similar to those of cholinesterase inhibitors.

Can cause side effects, including headache, constipation, confusion and

dizziness.