Alzheimer’s Disease Explained: Symptoms & Causes
Need to Know
Issue No. 3: Words from the Wise
Words - DIANA MCDONNELL, DNP
Illustration - Meech BOAYKE
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease in which memory and thinking skills decline, eventually affecting the ability to perform daily tasks. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. Alzheimer's is one of the top ten causes of death in the United States, but the only one on that list that cannot be prevented, cured, or slowed.
What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
The signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s vary greatly among people. Common initial symptoms include:
Memory problems
Trouble with word-finding
Vision and spatial issues
Impaired judgment or reasoning.
As Alzheimer’s progresses, common symptoms include:
More memory issues
Wandering
Trouble managing bills
Repeating
Personality changes
Further progression to moderate Alzheimer’s involves:
More confusion
Difficulty recognizing family
Difficulty completing multi-step tasks
Possible hallucinations and delusions.
People with severe Alzheimer’s cannot communicate and are completely dependent on others.
What causes Alzheimer’s?
There is still a lot unknown about what causes Alzheimer’s, but it appears that damage within the brain starts long before signs and symptoms appear. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, but treatment for symptoms is available.
The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s that we currently know is increasing age, but that doesn’t mean that Alzheimer’s is a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s continues to be a growing area of research, especially focused on understanding the causes and developing better treatments.
Early diagnosis and interventions can be helpful, so it’s important to pay attention and seek medical evaluation for yourself or loved ones early on. It’s also important to remember that memory loss doesn’t mean that someone necessarily has Alzheimer’s. There are other causes of memory loss such as stroke, infection, tumor, and medication side effects which are important to investigate and rule out. If the memory loss is due to Alzheimer’s, having a diagnosis sooner can possibly delay further progression and help families plan for the future.
