Posts Tagged ‘dementia’

In the United States alone, 5.3 million people in 2015 are estimated to be living with a disease that cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured. This disease is known as Alzheimer’s disease and the number of people living with the disease is expected to continue to grow.

Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease and was the 6^th leading cause of death in Ohio in 2012.

So what exactly is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other mental functions. Throughout the course of the disease, the brain cells degenerate and die resulting in significant shrinkage of the brain. This process results in a persistent decline in mental function and memory which, as you can imagine, can greatly impact a patient’s daily life.

You may be wondering what puts a person at risk for developing Alzheimer’s. While there are a number of factors that contribute, the biggest risk factor appears to be age. Approximately 5.1 million people in 2015 who are living with Alzheimer’s are over the age of 65. One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia.

Other risk factors include:

• Family history
• Genetics
• Sex (Women > Men)
• Previous head trauma
• Mild cognitive impairment
• Poor lifestyle and heart health

The first thing you may notice is a rise in forgetfulness or memory loss. People normally experience some forgetfulness, but when daily life is affected, particularly recent memories, you should become concerned. Memory loss in Alzheimer’s may appear in a few ways:

• Repeating statements and questions over and over and not realizing that they have already said that before.
• Forgetting conversations, appointments, or events.
• Routinely misplacing possessions.
• Eventually forgetting the names of family members and everyday objects.

Other symptoms that may be present include:

• Disorientation – Losing track of the date, season, or where the person is.
• Speaking and writing – Trouble finding words.
• Thinking and reasoning – Difficulty concentrating.
• Making judgments and decisions – Responding to everyday problems becomes challenging.
• Planning and performing familiar tasks – Playing a favorite game becomes a struggle.
• Changes in personality and behavior – Wandering, delusions.

Currently, researchers have not found a proven way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Evidence suggests that similar factors that increase your risk for heart disease can also increase your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Believe it or not, there are only a handful of medications designed to combat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. These medications work by affecting cell-to-cell communications in the brain. However, these medications do not cure the disease and only help with memory symptoms for a limited amount of time.

The impact of Alzheimer’s is incredible, especially for older adults, as is the stress placed on the families of those living with the disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the only top 10 cause of death in the United States that cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured. Current medication therapy is lacking and can only help quiet the memory symptoms for a short period of time. There is much more that needs to be done to help patients living with Alzheimer’s.

Wear purple all month long and join the fight to end Alzheimer’s!

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/basics/definition/con-20023871

http://alz.org/facts/

Images From: https://alz.org/abam/#getTheFacts