I am diagnosed having Alzheimer’s disease

Permit me a space to ask this educative column to discuss Alzheimer’s disease. I was diagnosed of Alzheimer’s disease in a foreign hospital before the lockdown. I am now 71 years old with memory challenges. Benedict Q. Thanks, Benedict, for your question and wishing you a prosperous life. Alzheimer’s disease is a “progressive disease that […]

Permit me a space to ask this educative column to discuss Alzheimer’s disease. I was diagnosed of Alzheimer’s disease in a foreign hospital before the lockdown. I am now 71 years old with memory challenges.

Benedict Q.

Thanks, Benedict, for your question and wishing you a prosperous life. Alzheimer’s disease is a “progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. At first, someone with Alzheimer’s disease may notice mild confusion and difficulty remembering things. Eventually, people with the disease may even forget important people in their lives and undergo dramatic personality changes.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a group of brain disorders that cause the loss of intellectual and social skills. In Alzheimer’s disease, the brain cells degenerate and die, causing a steady decline in memory and mental function.” (Mayoclinic)

What are the symptoms?

Memory: Everyone has occasional memory lapses. It is normal to lose track of where you put your keys or forget the name of an acquaintance. But the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease persists and worsens, affecting your ability to function at work and at home.

People with Alzheimer’s may:

1. 1. Repeat statements and questions over and over, not realising that they’ve asked the question before.
2. 2. Forget conversations, appointments, or events, and not remember them later.
3. 3. Routinely misplace possessions, often putting them in illogical locations.
4. 4. Get lost in familiar places.
5. 5. Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects.
6. 6. Have trouble finding the right words to identify objects, express thoughts or take part in conversations.
7. 7. Alzheimer’s disease causes difficulty concentrating and thinking, especially about abstract concepts like numbers.
8. 8. Responding effectively to everyday problems, such as food burning on the stove or unexpected driving situations, becomes increasingly challenging.
9. 9. Once-routine activities that require sequential steps, such as planning and cooking a meal or playing a favorite game, become a struggle as the disease progresses. Eventually, people with advanced Alzheimer’s may forget how to perform basic tasks such as dressing and bathing.

10.Brain changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease can affect the way you act and how you feel.

What are the causes of Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease may be caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.

What are the risk factors?

1. 1. Increasing age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is not a part of normal aging, but your risk increases greatly after you reach the age of 65. The rate of dementia doubles every decade after age of 60.
2. 2. Your risk of developing Alzheimer’s appears to be somewhat higher if a first-degree relative, your parent or sibling has the disease.
3. 3. Down syndrome; many people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease.
4. 4. Women seem to be more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease, in part because they live longer.
5. 5. People who’ve had a severe head trauma seem to have a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
6. 6. There’s no lifestyle factor that’s been definitively shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

What are the complications?

A person with Alzheimer’s disease may not be able to:

1. 1. Communicate that he or she is experiencing pain, for example, from a dental problem
2. 2. Report symptoms of another illness
3. 3. Follow a prescribed treatment plan and notice or describe medication side effects

What are the preventive ways?

Keeping active physically, mentally and socially may make one’s life more enjoyable and may also help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.