What is Alzheimer’s disease? What are the Symptoms? One of the most common causes of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia includes a number of symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty in thinking, language or problem in solving. The reason of occurrence for such symptoms is because of damage in brain due to certain diseases which include Alzheimer’s disease. When a person suffers with Alzheimer’s disease, there is protein-build up in the form of structures called as ‘tangles’ and ‘plaques’. The formation of these structures leads to damage of connections between the nerve cells which eventually leads to loss of nerve cells and brain tissue. Besides, there is also loss of important chemicals in the brain.
Alzheimer’s disease is progressive in nature and over time, there is damage in further parts of the brain. The symptoms of this disease eventually become more and more severe.
Symptoms The symptoms of Alzheimer’s are mostly mild and become worse over a period of time. Though there are common symptoms of the disease, however, two people suffering from the disease may not experience the same condition as every individual is unique. The earliest of symptoms of this disease is memory lapse. There may be difficulty in learning something new or problem in recalling recent information. Hippocampus which plays a central role in the day-to-day activities is affected at the initial stage. Symptoms that can be seen with a progressive Alzheimer’s are:
Getting lost in a familiar place Forgetting days such anniversaries or birthdays Forgetting someone’s name or identity Losing items such as glasses and keys
In the later stages of the disease, the patient suffers from problems in reasoning, memory loss, and communication. There are difficulties with language, distance, concentration, orientation, and in the routinely tasks such as eating, walking, and sleeping. Such people suffer from restlessness and react aggressively. The progress of the disease as well as life expectancy of the patient varies. On an average, people suffering with this disease live for eight to ten years after the occurrence of first symptoms. This may vary significantly depending upon age. Treatment There is no cure for Alzheimer’s currently, however, there is a lot of support that can be provided to the patient suffering from this condition. This includes drug, non-drug care, activities and other forms of support by showing to the best neurology doctors. There are many hospitals such as Apollo where you can consult the best neurologist in Hyderabad.