Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia in which people experience mild memory loss at first and then progressively lose the mental ability to do the simplest of daily tasks. Alzheimer’s disease gradually debilitates the brain functions that control memory, language, and thought. While this disorder is irreversible and incurable, learning about it can help people live with it while maintaining the quality of their lives. Here are some symptoms, causes, and remedies to note.

Alzheimer’s disease symptoms
Here are some of the typical indicators that healthcare experts look for before diagnosing an individual with this disease:

Memory loss
An occasional inability to recall past events and memories is common for people when they grow old. However, those who have Alzheimer’s tend to suffer from memory loss that severely disrupts their daily life. In advanced stages, one can even forget even the information they have learned or witnessed earlier in the same day. Other instances of memory loss include forgetting important dates or events, names of close family members, and an over-reliance on memory aids like reminder notes or electronic devices. People with Alzheimer’s often ask the same questions over and over and heavily depend on their family members to do things they could once handle on their own.

Confusion about time and place
Individuals with Alzheimer’s tend to progressively lose touch with reality. So, it is not uncommon for someone living with this health condition to lose track of seasons, dates, and the general passage of time. If something does not happen quickly or immediately, they will have trouble understanding it. Apart from time-related confusion, people with Alzheimer’s also frequently forget which place they are in and how they got there.

Problems with speaking and writing
It is common for someone with Alzheimer’s to lose track of a conversation while it is going on. They may simply pause in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue it. This then results in them repeating parts of what they said several times. Someone with Alzheimer’s is also likely to have trouble naming a familiar place or object using an incorrect name.

Challenges in planning and problem solving
Alzheimer’s affects the way people experience changes, follow set plans, or work with numbers. As a result, someone with the condition will find it incredibly challenging to plan things through or solve even the easiest of puzzles, logical problems, or math problems.

Alzheimer’s disease causes
According to several healthcare studies, Alzheimer’s is caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around a person’s brain cells. However, here are some other causative risk factors that can lead to Alzheimer’s in individuals:

Family history
A small to moderate percentage of people with Alzheimer’s develop the disease because they have a family history of the condition. In such families, the disease is inherited through one or multiple genes being passed down the generations. If many people from someone’s family have developed the condition, then they can seek genetic counseling for details and advice related to their chances of developing the disease when they grow older.

Head injuries
While further research is still needed to support this, there is a chance of people who have suffered a head injury then going on to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Down syndrome
People with Down’s syndrome are also vulnerable to developing Alzheimer’s disease. This happens because the genetic changes that cause Down’s syndrome are also instrumental in causing amyloid plaques to build up in an individual’s brain over time. This phenomenon can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease treatments and management options
While there is no definitive treatment for Alzheimer’s, professional help can greatly improve one’s quality of life for people living with this health condition. Treatment mainly addresses certain aspects of a person’s brain health, such as managing their behavioral symptoms, slowing down the progression of the disease, and helping people maintain their brain health. Some of the treatment/management techniques to make an Alzheimer’s patient’s life easier are:

Creating a routine
A routine creates a sense of familiarity for people with Alzheimer’s. When someone with this disease follows a set pattern of tasks throughout their day for days, months, and years on end, they will be able to achieve muscle memory for those actions. In that way, not only will they be able to do the tasks properly, but their confidence will also grow because of the same.

Using specific tips to communicate with patients clearly
Certain communication tips, such as maintaining eye contact and smiling, using the person’s first name while talking, and speaking with a calm voice, make every conversation with an Alzheimer’s patient rewarding and memorable.

Taking care of patients’ safety
People with Alzheimer’s may constantly be afraid of falling or injuring themselves because of their reduced balance and gait capabilities. So, family members need to take special care of their loved ones’ safety indoors and outdoors.