HEALTH
ALZHEIMER’S
DISEASE
By Dr. Vanessa Robinson
A
lzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When this occurs thinking, behavior and feelings are affected. There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are diagnosed based on medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. An addition are the characteristic changes in thinking and day-today function. Doctors can determine that a person has dementia with a high level of certainty based upon this information, but it’s harder to determine the exact type of dementia because the symptoms and brain changes of different dementias can overlap. There are some special considerations for African Americans: Alzheimer’s disease is more prevalent among African Americans than among whites — with estimates ranging from 14% to almost 100% higher. There is a greater familial risk of Alzheimer’s in African Americans; and genetic and environmental factors may work differently to cause Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. Alzheimer’s disease is considered to be younger-onset Alzheimer’s if it affects a person under 65. Younger-onset can also be referred to as early-onset Alzheimer’s. People with younger-onset Alzheimer’s can be in the early, middle, or late stage of the disease. The following are ten signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, but it is important to distinguish these from normal aging.
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THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK
1. MEMORY LOSS THAT DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events, asking the same question over and over again, or increasingly needing to rely on memory aids (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things the person used to handle on their own. Typical agerelated changes are sometimes forgetting names or appointments but remembering them later. 2. CHALLENGES IN PLANNING OR SOLVING PROBLEMS Some people living with dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. Typical age-related changes are making occasional errors when managing finances or household bills. 3. DIFFICULTY COMPLETING FAMILIAR TASKS. People living with Alzheimer’s disease often find it hard to complete routine tasks. Sometimes they may have trouble driving to a familiar location, organizing a grocery list, or remembering the rules of a favorite game. A typical age-related change is occasionally needing help to use microwave settings or to record a TV show. 4. CONFUSION WITH TIME OR PLACE. People living with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. A typical agerelated change? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.
“WALKING IN THE PROMISE OF GOD”
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
