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Alzheimer’s: the causes, symptoms and treatments

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Alzheimer’s disease is a mental deterioration which causes memory, thought processing and behaviour difficulties.  Each year there are 200, 000 diagnosed cases.  The 21 September is World Alzheimer’s Day and it takes place every year.  In this article we will look at the causes, symptoms and treatments to help better understand this mental deterioration which affects many people around the world. 

Alzheimer’s is a type of mental deterioration which is different from the normal changes that comes with old age.  Representing up to 80% of the mental deterioration cases, Alzheimer symptoms appears slowly but can get worse over the course of the patient’s life.
Although old age increases the risk – in general the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s start to appear around the age of 65 years old – some people can suffer from premature Alzheimer’s. In other words, this disease can be triggered early between the age of 40 and 50 years old.

What do we know about the causes of Alzheimer’s?

Our brain controls a large part of our mental and physical capacities.  Inside our brain there are more than 100 billion neurons.  These cerebral cells are gathered into specific groups and, in a way, each group is responsible for a different function.  Therefore when there is a problem with one of these groups we can, for example, lose our memory, our ability to learn, understand or even to move around.

Even before the disease become apparent, changes happen inside the sufferers brain. Current research suggests that Alzheimer’s disease prevents communication between groups of neutrons.  Groups of neutron die if they can no longer be produced or communicate. When cells lose their function, patients lose one or more abilities, whether it is physical or mental.

Sufferers of Alzheimer’s see two structural changes prematurely appearing in their cells and in large quantities:

  • Amyloid plaques;
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles

Loss of communication between groups of neurons are caused by these structures.  Their premature appearance and their large numbers produce the 10 biggest symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

The 10 biggest symptoms of Alzheimer’s

There are ten big symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease which affect a number of important functions.  These symptoms can alter daily life for the individual.  Basic chores like doing the dishes or going to the toilet or more complex tasks like budgeting or planning an activity can become difficult.

  1. Memory loss:  forgetting information, dates, important events.  Sufferers often ask several times the same thing.
  2. Difficulty planning or solving problems: difficulty in following plans, recipes and in using numbers.  Sufferers also struggle with concentration.
  3. Difficulty in carrying out basic day-to-day chores: This can be at home, at work or during activities.
  4. Confusing times and places: Losing a sense of the date, season or the time that has past.  A patient will often have difficulty understanding events that haven’t happened in front of them.
  5. Difficulty in understanding images and spacial awareness: have difficulty reading or identifying colours, shades or nuances.  Often the reflection of somebody in the mirror can be taken as another person.
  6. Develop problems in oral and written expression: Patients have difficulties following a discussion, joining a conversation or finishing a sentence.
  7. Inability to find lost or mislaid objects  
  8. Reduced judgement and decision-making skills 
  9. Removing yourself from activities or stopping work 
  10. Behaviour or personality changes: The sufferer might become confused, suspicious, paranoid or depressed. Often a person who develops Alzheimer’s has difficulty leaving their home as things around them seem dangerous.

Neuron destruction creates a lot of problems for the patient. In any case, not all these symptoms appear at the same time or at the same level of severity.

How does Alzheimer’s disease develop?

The illness evolves in seven stages :

  1. No cognitive impairment;
  2. Very slight cognitive impairments
  3. Slight cognitive impairment;
  4. Moderate cognitive impairment;
  5. Moderately severe cognitive impairment;
  6. Severe cognitive impairment
  7. Very severe cognitive impairment

These stages can overlap which makes grading the illness very difficult.  However the patients deterioration is always the same.  It becomes more severe over time.  In the seventh stage, the person can no longer interact in their environment.  They have to stay motionless and are bed-ridden. Constant help is absolutely necessary.

Can this illness be treated ?

Just now there is no treatment for this illness.  Although Alzheimer’s cannot be cured, progressive symptoms can be slowed down and living conditions can be improved. However, treatments are not given to all sufferers as they can suffer from heavy side affects.

Help is needed to try and improve the patients life conditions.  Most importantly the patient needs constant help to carry out daily tasks and to improve their environment.

Therapies can be put in place to slow down the deterioration of cognitive functions such as, memory, movements and expressive abilities.  The patient’s family also needs to be taken care of.  Living with someone with Alzheimer’s isn’t easy and support is always appreciated .

My children, my friends, I love you: I love you but I am leaving you a little. However if there is something that will never disappear, it is the warmth of our love.

Annie Girardot

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