Alzheimer’s Disease is a brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills. It also causes changes in behavior and personality.
A buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain is believed to cause Alzheimer’s. These proteins, called beta-amyloid and tau, clog areas of the brain and interfere with the way nerve cells communicate.
That cause alzheimer
Alzheimer’s disease happens when proteins in your brain don’t work properly. This causes your brain to lose its ability to think and remember information. Then, over time, the nerve cells that carry messages between brain cells start to die.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s isn’t clear, but scientists believe that it happens when your body makes too much of a certain type of protein called amyloid. This protein builds up in the brain, creating sticky clumps that stick to each other. The clumps form large masses and tangles, blocking the way nerve cells communicate with each other. This also damages the healthy cells around them.
Another type of protein, tau, also builds up in the brain and can make tangled fibers that stick together. These tangled fibers block the way your brain cells talk to each other, leading to symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
There are many other factors that can increase your risk of developing dementia. Some of these include medical conditions, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Other factors include a head injury, such as a car accident or a fall.
Some of these conditions can be treated or managed. Treatments for some of these conditions can help delay the development of dementia.
These treatments can also help people with dementia feel more comfortable and improve their quality of life. Research is underway to find new ways to treat these conditions and other brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Changing lifestyles may also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Eating healthier foods, staying physically active, getting enough sleep and not smoking can all contribute to a lower risk of the disease.
A few people who have Alzheimer’s disease have a gene that increases their risk of developing the condition. These ‘risk genes’ can be changed by taking certain medicines. These drugs can prevent the buildup of amyloid plaques and tangles in the brain, and slow down the symptoms of the disease.
Some of these medications are also available without a prescription. They can be used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, such as confusion and memory loss.
Signs of alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, a common disorder that affects memory and thinking. It is caused by changes in the brain that can be hereditary or result from health or lifestyle factors.
It’s most common in people over 65. But it can also happen in younger people, called early-onset Alzheimer’s. This form usually happens because of a gene defect and may occur as early as age 30.
In Alzheimer’s, the brain loses its ability to think and remember things, and it also changes how it reacts to the world around you. These changes can affect how you communicate, manage your finances and even the way you interact with others.
The first sign of Alzheimer’s is memory loss. It can be normal to forget things from time to time, but when it’s affecting daily life it’s an indication that something is wrong.
Forgetting the name of family members or a familiar object can be distressing for someone with Alzheimer’s. They can also forget where they are or what they’re doing, which makes it difficult to do everyday tasks like shopping, cooking and getting around the house.
Often, someone with Alzheimer’s will forget where they have been several times during the day or even on the same day. This is particularly worrying if it happens when they’re out with friends or in social situations.
They might also start to get lost in unfamiliar places or have trouble finding their way home from work. This is a very distressing thing to experience and can be very challenging for those caring for them.
Other symptoms of Alzheimer’s are problems with language, such as difficulty remembering words or phrases. It can also affect vision and spatial awareness.
Symptoms tend to get worse as the disease progresses. These can include confusion, difficulty remembering recent events and recognizing family and friends, trouble thinking or reasoning, and a loss of ability to communicate. It can also lead to a decline in physical abilities, such as bowel and bladder control. Eventually, patients with Alzheimer’s disease are unable to perform activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing and eating. They can also be prone to infections or other health problems, such as aspiration pneumonia (where fluids from the lungs are swallowed).
Treatment for alzheimer’s disease
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are medicines that can help manage some symptoms of the condition. Some can improve memory or thinking skills, and others can help control behavior in people who are already diagnosed with the condition.
Treatments vary based on your age and the stage of the disease you have. They can also be individualized based on your doctor’s evaluation and your preferences for treatment.
For mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, doctors prescribe medications called cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), and rivastigmine (Exelon). You may take these drugs in pill form or in an extended-release capsule that dissolves on your tongue.
These drugs improve thinking, memory and communication by increasing levels of acetylcholine, a chemical in the brain that helps nerve cells communicate with each other. However, they may have side effects. Some of the most common are feeling or being sick, difficulty sleeping, diarrhoea and muscle cramps.
Don’t use cholinesterase inhibitors if you have certain types of cardiac arrhythmias, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Taking these drugs may increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
If you have a history of heart problems or other health conditions, your doctor should discuss these with you before prescribing any Alzheimer’s medications. They should also make sure you understand the risks and benefits of any medication you are considering before you start taking it.
Another treatment option is aducanumab, a monoclonal antibody drug that attacks the beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. This medication is given by IV every 4 weeks at a hospital or an infusion therapy center.
It is the first medication to target the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s, rather than just treat the symptoms. It has been shown to slow the progression of the disease in patients with early Alzheimer’s symptoms and in people with Alzheimer’s disease that haven’t yet developed symptoms.
Aducanumab is the most advanced of the FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and it may be a good option for some people with the disease. But it isn’t without controversy, and some experts don’t believe it should be prescribed until more information about the long-term benefits are available.
How to prevent alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects people of all ages and races. It usually starts with problems with memory and can progress to having trouble thinking clearly. It’s caused by a buildup of clumps of protein called amyloid plaques in the brain.
These plaques form in nerve cells, which are the brain’s communications hubs. When amyloid protein clumps together, it can destroy neurons and interfere with communication between them. The clumps also cause bundles of twisted fibers (called neurofibrillary tangles) in the neurons. These tangles block the neuron’s microtubule transport system, which means that the neurons can’t carry out their functions properly and may die.
The tangles are made up of a protein called tau. This protein is normal in healthy neurons but, in Alzheimer’s disease, the tangles can twist and form into different patterns.
It’s unclear how tau gets changed into tangles, but scientists think that the tangles are toxic to neurons and may disrupt their communication. The tangles cause nerve cells to die slowly and cause problems with memory.
Researchers are looking for ways to slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Some evidence shows that a few lifestyle factors, such as exercise and diet, may help delay its onset or lessen the risk of dementia.
Another thing that can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s is controlling high blood pressure. This condition is harmful to the heart and blood vessels, as well as to the brain. Taking blood pressure medications and doing other healthy lifestyle measures such as exercising and quitting smoking can lower your risk of developing this condition.
Changing these habits may also reduce your risk of developing other conditions, such as diabetes and depression. Studies have shown that these disorders are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
If you are concerned about your memory, talk with a doctor. The doctor can take a detailed medical history and ask questions to help diagnose the problem.
They can also order tests to look at the person’s brain. These tests can help identify the type of Alzheimer’s and its stage of development.
