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Alzheimer’s – Stages, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Alzheimer’s disease can be defined as a neurological disorder which creates a significant effect on the brain cells, thereby leading to loss of memory. Generally, older adults fall an easy prey to this disease. It is also known by the term dementia. It has been found that about 80 percent of the population in the country is affected by this disease.

This figure is expected to grow over time as according to the experts, the number of affected people might double by the year 2050.

Alzheimer’s – Stages, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
In most cases, patients remain ignorant about Alzheimer’s as the symptoms are not that intense. However, severity begins to increase in the advanced stages.

Alzheimer’s disease can well be classified into different stages, which are as follows:

  • Preclinical stage
  • Mild impairment of cognition
  • Dementia

Apart from these three stages, it can also be classified into seven stages based on the severity of symptoms.

What are the causes of Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s disease is mainly caused due to the improper functioning of the brain cells. The brain cells do not die suddenly but rather with time, the cells stop functioning. Those who suffer from Alzheimer’s have lesser number of nerve cells compared to normal human beings. As per the autopsy reports, it has been found that the people who are affected by this disease have a comparatively tiny deposit of nerve tissues in comparison to a normal person. These deposits are termed as tangles and plaques and this began to develop upon tissues.

These deposits can be found in the brain cells that die down over time. It is basically composed of a protein named beta-amyloid. Tangles which also occur inside nerve cells are made up of tau, another form of protein. Till date, no specific reason has been found by the researchers in relation to these changes in the nerve cells. However, a large number of factors can be linked to such an occurrence and these include

  • A family history of Alzheimer’s
  • Aging
  • Presence of particular genes
  • Unhealthy cardiovascular system

What are the symptoms?
In order to treat Alzheimer’s disease, it is quite crucial to detect the symptoms as early as possible. One of the major symptoms that can be experienced by a patient is a loss of memory and a decline in the performance of an individual. The following are the symptoms of this disease:

  • An individual with Alzheimer’s will find it difficult to remember any new information.
  • The patients might be unable to recognize faces as this disease directly affects the visuospatial abilities of a person.
  • Hesitation can be encountered while speaking and one may also face problems in reading or writing.
  • Behavioral challenges occur that include apathy, compulsive and social withdrawal.
  • People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to lose judgment or problem-solving capacity.

Are there any treatment options?
Medical science has not been able to find out any permanent treatment for the disease as it is impossible to grow new brain cells. Nevertheless, some therapeutic options are available to reduce the severity of Alzheimer’s.

  • Medications are one of the most viable options to treat the disease. Medicines like tacrine, donepezil, and rivastigmine can allow the patient to reduce their symptoms.
  • In case a person faces a problem in taking the three medicines, they can choose N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist.
  • A patient needs to engage in group activities as it can help in restoring their condition.
  • It is better to involve the patients in cognitive activities so as to ensure proper functionality of their brains and help them to prevent the severity of this disease.
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