Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

November 3, 2017
Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Alzheimer’s Disease is an incredibly common disease. Everyone knows someone who has been affected. Alzheimer’s is characterized as a neuro-degenerative disease; where the connections between neurons are depleted. This results in impaired brain functions, confusion, forgetfulness, and disorientation. Not only are patients affected, but this disease is especially hard on their loved ones. Families are scared that not only is their loved one succumbing to a disease with no cure, they feel as though they are losing the person, before they are gone.

The Mayo Clinic describes the symptoms include problems with memory, thinking and reasoning, judgment, planning, and changes in personality and behavior. Memory issues include, “repeating states and questions over and over, forgetting conversations, routinely misplacing possessions, getting lost in familiar places, and having trouble finding the right words to express thoughts.” Thinking and reasoning is impacted by making, “multitasking especially difficult, and it may be challenging to manage finances and pay bills on time.” Some of the symptoms of changes in personality are, “depression, apathy, social withdrawal, mood swings, distrust, irritability, changes in sleeping habits, wandering, loss of inhibitions and delusions.”

Alzheimer’s Disease, like many other diseases, are caused by genetics, lifestyle, and diet. The “rate of dementia doubles every decade after age 60.” People with Down’s Syndrome have symptoms appear “10-20 years earlier” than people without it. Women are “more likely to develop Alzheimer’s because they live longer.”

Unfortunately there is no cure, or known ways to prevent this disease. If you know someone with this disease, please comment below to tell us about it.

 

1 comment

  1. My husband first experienced confusion and loss of memory in March of 2000 while undergoing rehab for alcoholism. Being home seemed to help him until 2006 when he gradually began experiencing Alzheimer’s symptoms. He had four to five hours a day where he wants to get a “greyhound” to “go home.” Also, he thinks I am his sister and believes he has rented a car (he hasn’t driven in five to 10 years). His personal hygiene was in the tank — it was necessary for him to change two to three times a day. Without long-term insurance for his care, it was becoming stressful to care from him. this year our family doctor introduced and started him on a new medication, 6 months into treatment he improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of Alzheimer’s, hallucination, forgetfulness, and other he’s strong again and able to go about daily activities.

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