Alzheimer's Warning Signs

Named after by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who first described the disease in 1906, Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disease that usually begins gradually, causing a person to forget recent events or familiar tasks. How rapidly it advances varies from person to person, but it eventually causes confusion, personality and behavior changes and impaired judgment. Communication becomes difficult as the affected person struggles to find words, finish thoughts or follow directions. Eventually, most people with Alzheimer's disease become unable to care for themselves. The disease usually begins after age 65, and risk of Alzheimer's goes up with age.

An estimated 4 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Association warns that unless a cure or prevention is found, that number will jump to 14 million by the year 2050. Worldwide, it is estimated that 22 million individuals will develop Alzheimer's disease by the year 2025. The Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Centerhave compiled the following guidelines about the disease.

SYMPTOMS
Alzheimer's begins slowly. At first, the only symptom may be mild forgetfulness. People with AD may have trouble remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things. Simple math problems may become hard for these people to solve. Such difficulties may be a bother, but usually they are not serious enough to cause alarm.

As the disease goes on, symptoms are more easily noticed and become serious enough to cause people with Alzheimer's or their family members to seek medical help. For example, people with Alzheimer's may forget how to do simple tasks, like brushing their teeth or combing their hair. They can no longer think clearly and they begin to have problems speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Later on, people with the disease may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, patients may need total care.

CAUSES

DIAGNOSIS
Doctors can diagnose probable Alzheimer's correctly 80 to 90 percent of the time. Doctors can only tell for certain if a patient has Alzheimer's by looking at brain tissue under a microscope during an autopsy. As a result, doctors may say that a person has probable Alzheimer's. There is no single, comprehensive diagnostic test for Alzheimer's. Instead, doctors rule out other conditions through a process of elimination. They usually conduct physical, psychological and neurological exams and take a thorough medical history.

TREATMENT
There is no medical treatment currently available to cure or stop the progression of Alzheimer's. Three FDA approved drugs, tacrine, donepezil, and rivastigmine, may temporarily relieve some symptoms of the disease. There are other drugs being developed, some of which may be available within the next few years.

Medication and non-drug therapies are also available to reduce some of the behavioral symptoms associated with Alzheimer's, such as depression, sleeplessness and agitation.

© MMI Viacom Internet Services Inc. All Rights Reserved