Leading a healthy life is fantasy now as People continue to suffer from various health issues every day. This is the harsh truth that one cannot deny. It is not long ago people were concerned only about their physical injuries. But as time flies, they began realizing that there are other factors too! They often suffer from various mental disorders in which Dementia is more of a common one. It is a neurodegenerative disease that affects people causing memory loss and other cognitive disabilities. Dementia covers up the wide range of brain disorders this article tends to focus on Alzheimer’s disease a type of dementia that threatens the cognitive health of people to a greater extent. One could find detailed insights into their causes, symptoms and effective Alzheimer’s disease treatment plans below.
Understanding Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is one of the most common forms of dementia that affects the memory and other cognitive functions of the brain. It greatly affects one’s life and it gets worse by the time. They are more common among the senior citizens (age of 65 & above). It becomes more essential to remain clear about the differences between the normal memory loss (occurs due to aging) and the Dementia.
Alzheimer’s accounts for about 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, making it be more common than the others.
It is not just a part of normal aging, in some cases, people aged below 65 also tends to develop certain symptoms and these are referred to as the early onset Alzheimer’s.
Many might wonder what makes them be a great threat. We, all the answer is quite a shock! There is No cure for Alzheimer’s disease! Certain medications could slow down the mental deterioration, but the result is inevitable. The average lifetime of the individual with Alzheimer’s tends to live for eight years once they are affected. However, the scale varies from 4 to 20 years depending on their health conditions.
It is the sixth leading disease that results in higher mortality rate in the US and the Fifth in case of the senior citizens.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s:
Symptoms are the mere indication of our improper body functions. It alarms the individual to undergo suitable medication. Like any of the body parts, Brain also tends to suffer from certain health issues. Being the central control unit, such an issue could affect our routine life to a greater extent. We people have come across such conditions at some time in life. Speaking of which, Difficulty in remembering things is a common phenomenon and it is also a sign of Alzheimer’s. But this doesn’t mean that every time you forget something is a sign of being affected. We, humans, tend to forget things over time as a result of natural aging. Some say it is a gift but when such conditions prevail more often it is better to seek professional help without any delay!
However, there are three different risk factors that denote the increased risk of getting affected. This includes Age, Family history, and genetic factors.
- People in & above age 65 are highly prone to Alzheimer’s than the rest.
- A close family member with the conditions greatly increases the risk.
- Certain genetic conditions may or may not result in Alzheimer’s. This includes the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene that could be easily tested via blood tests.
Common Symptoms:
- Memory loss of the simple day to day routines
- Difficulty in speaking, writing, performing well familiar tasks
- Poor judgmental skills
- Facing difficulties in problem-solving
- The misconception of time and places
- Reduced personal hygiene
- Mood and personality changes
- Avoiding family and friends
Diagnosing and the Treatment:
Even though there is No cure for Alzheimer’s disease, its progression could be greatly reduced. But to get on with the right treatment it is essential to get a clear idea where do we stand in the different stages of Alzheimer’s.
To do so one must provide the details on their symptoms, medical history, diet practices, alcohol consumption, and other lifestyle practices to their doctors.
Some of the diagnosis even involves simple questions like Date and day of the month, any famous celebrities, recalling certain words etc.
There are also other clinical methods (scans) practiced to get a better idea of the brain of the affected individual. This includes,
- Computer Tomography scan (CT): More commonly known as CT scan it provides X-rayed images of the brain to look for any abnormalities.
- Magnetic Resonant imaging (MRI): It proves to be more useful in identifying any bleeding, inflammation and other structural issues.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET): PET scan helps doctors to look for any plaque formations in the brain.
Treatments:
Regardless of large numbers, all of modern Alzheimer’s disease treatment focuses on slowing its progressiveness and improving one’s quality of life.
This includes simple lifestyle changes such as
- Avoiding confusion
- More focused on tasks at hand
- Good rest
- Being Calm
- Avoid smoking
- Practicing regular exercises
- Strictly adhere to diet plans (plant based)
- Improved social life
- New Cognitive training exercises and etc.
Even though all of the above-mentioned practices does not guarantee the cure for Alzheimer’s disease but proves more effective in leading a healthy and a happy life.
Vivek is a writing enthusiast fond of healthy and happy living. He believes Knowledge gets better when shared. So he founded The Mindful Bytes as a platform for people who love to read and write anything that has to do with Health, Tech, Business, Finance, and Lifestyle.
