Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and mental functions. Brain cells self-degenerate and die, destroying memory and other function of the brain. It is due to an abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. Amyloid proteins make plaques around brain cells and tau proteins make tangles within brain cells and in this way both the above proteins damage the brain cell and are responsible for this diseases.”
What Is Disease
It is a neuron degenerative disease. Progressive impairment of memory due to development of senile plaque. Destruction of the nerve cell. It is a type of dementia affect memory, thinking and behavior symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily task. The patient becomes unable to plan or solve the problem. Unable to track dates, time, name, and seasons, etc. Unable to do day-to-day personal tasks. Misplacing things. Later on, change in mood and personality. Unable to give a decision, struggle in conversation.
Some individuals forget the names of people, some others forget new events. Some others forget their residential address, name, phone number, etc. The patient is unable to recall the place where he put his personal belonging such as mobile phone, pen, aspects, etc.
Though the key is in his pocket, he could not recall and try to search the same in other rooms of the home. The patient is unable to recall his childhood friends, but he seems that he has seen them somewhere else. The patient is unable to use such items which he was using frequently such as how to start washing machine or how to start the mobile phone, how to start or shut down the computer. It is a progressive nerve disorder.
Symptoms
- Loss of memory with the inability to recall. Unable to recognize his friends, relatives, etc.
- Difficulty in preparing similar tasks which he was doing frequently.
- Forget time, place, way, the purpose for here. Forget for what purpose he has come in the vegetable market or in the bank.
- Poor judgment or decision. Unable to decide what to wear in summer and winter. Start wearing a sweater in summer and wear one shirt in winter.
- Misplacing objects, mobile phones, valet, pens, keys, etc., and try to search the same at other places.
- Change in mood or behavior. While talking in a well-mannered way all of a sudden patient starts abuse angrily. Some time start weeping or become sad.
- Depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Feels sad and fails to perform quite sleep.
CAUSE and prognosis
It is caused by the abnormal build-up of protein in and around brain cells. Deposits of AMYLOID protein form plaque around brain cells and other protein TAU forms tangles within brain cells. Both create a plaque that surrounded the nerve cell slowly in a course of time and tangle the same, destroy the neuron in a progressive manner. The plaque destroys nerve connection in the brain, resulting in thereof patient’s difficulty to do ordinary things like moved around, swallow and feed, starts forgetting a thing already remembered.
Stress is also another cause of this disease. It can cause inflammation in the brain, making the brain more susceptible to health problems like dementia and depression. Alzheimer’s Disease mostly affects old age people over the age of sixty. In many cases, it can also affect people in their 30’s or 40’s, which is called the early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.
It generally progresses in stages. Biomarker tests can reveal beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of a high-risk patient. MRI can also show a subtle change in the brain The earlier symptoms of Alzheimer’s can be mistaken as aging and stress.
Treatment
- Morning Walk as possible.
- Physical activity.
- Yoga.
- Exercise.
- Take a Low-fat diet and vegetables.
- Remain busy in daily routine work which promotes quality sleep.
- Avoid sugary drinks.
- Avoid highly processed grain i.e. Maida.
- Aspartame.
As regards medical treatment is concerned, first of all, we have to distinguish between already dead nerve and surviving nerve. We have to treat surviving nerves by giving anti-Alzheimer medicines. These drugs will destroy the duly formed plaques and stop the formation of new plaques. However, medical treatment advice from a Neurologist is necessary.
FAQ
Q. What exactly is Alzheimer’s?
Ans. It is an irreversible, progressive, brain disorder that gradually destroys memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out any tasks either they may be simple or other.
Q. Can Alzheimer’s disease is curable?
Ans. There is no cure for this disease. But there are some options that can help an individual suffering from this disease to cope with symptoms and improve quality of life.
Q. Do Alzheimer’s patients sleep a lot?
Ans. Not at all but in some cases patients have a tendency to sleep a lot during the day, even when they had a complete night’s sleep.
Q. Can stress cause Alzheimer’s?
Ans. Researchers believe that stress can cause inflammation in the brain and cause health problems like dementia. Stress can also lead to depression, a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
Q. At which age Alzheimer’s began?
Ans. Mostly it starts at the age of 60 but in some cases, signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s started in a person between the age of 30s and mid-60s.