Alzheimer’s disease, named after German physician Alois Alzheimer who first described it in 1906, is only one form of dementia, a class of brain diseases which cause serious changes in personality, behavior, memory, or combination of these. It’s caused by the damage or death of some of the millions of neurons, or nerve cells, that make up the brain. What exactly causes this is still not known for certain. Symptoms may include asking the same questions over and over again; getting lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; becoming disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.
Dementia mainly affects seniors, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically get dementia as you get older. In fact, current medical research shows that most people remain quite mentally alert as they age.
Sometimes older people have emotional problems that can be mistaken for dementia. Feeling sad, lonely, worried, or bored may be more common for older people facing retirement or coping with the death of a spouse, relative, or friend. Treatment in these cases is not medical – the support of family and friends is what’s needed.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease usually begin slowly and become steadily worse, leading to serious impairments in thinking, judgment, and the ability to perform daily activities. Eventually, patients may need total care.
In another key form of dementia -- multi-infarct dementia -- a series of small strokes or changes in the brain's blood supply can kill brain cells. The symptoms can be mild or very serious, depending on which parts of the brain are affected. . In many cases, high blood pressure is the cause.
If you’re worried about memory loss or disorientation, you should see your doctor. There are many tests that can show any early stages of Alzheimer’s or other dementia, and although there isn’t any cure to date, there are treatments that can slow its progress or reduce the severity.
Family members and friends can be invaluable in helping. People with dementia should be kept up-to-date about the details of their lives, such as the time of day, where they live, and what is happening at home or in the world. Some families find that a big calendar, a list of daily plans, notes about simple safety measures, and written directions describing how to use common household items, and even a “current events” posting about the family are very useful aids.
There is ongoing research to develop new drugs that may slow, reverse, or prevent the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia. In the meantime, people who have no dementia symptoms can try to keep their memory and mind sharp. Reading, keeping up with a hobby, keeping physically in shape, staying away from very much alcohol, all can help.
For more tips and information, call the Alzheimer’s Association‘s 24/7 Helpline, 800-272-3900, or visit alz.org. Also online, you can search under “Alzheimer’s Disease” for an array of sites dealing with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
