ALZHEIMER’s disease is on the name of German psychiatrist and pathologist ALOIS ALZHEIMER. It is a neurodegenerative disorder and main cause of dementia.
CAUSES:-
- Aging process,
- Head injury,
- Depression
- And hypertension
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:-
These are divided into 4 stages-
Pre-dementia:-
- Most common one is short-term memory loss,
- Mood swings,
- Loss of motivation,
- Problems with language and behavioral issues
Early:-
- Inability to recall vocabulary,
- Tasks like writing, drawing, dressing difficulties,
- Difficulty in perception
Moderate:-
- Fail to recognize close relatives,
- Long-term memory loss has started,
- Wandering around,
- Irritability,
- Urinary incontinence
Advanced:-
- Muscle mass decreases which make them bedridden,
- Completely reliable on caretaker,
- Death may occur at the end.
THEORIES:-
Amyloid hypothesis-
A-Beta proteins in the brain are the main postulated theory for Alzheimer’s disease.
Other theories are cholinergic hypothesis, Tau hypothesis and genetic causes.
Diagnosis:-
By medical history, history from relatives and behavioral observations,
Medical methods are-
CT scan,
MRI,
PET,
SPECT,
Memory testing
TECHNIQUES:-
Mini mental state examination,
Interviews with the family,
Blood tests,
Psychological tests
PREVENTION:-
Although there is no proper treatment for AD by following methods signs and symptoms can come late or disease does not progress
MEDICATION:-
NSAIDS which helps in reducing inflammation related to amyloid plaques, medicines for hypertension, depression, diabetes and heart problems.
Lifestyle:
AD patients should play more board games, do the reading, and indulge in exercise.
Diet:-
The healthy and balanced diet should be eaten; diet full of saturated fats and carbohydrates should be avoided.
The prognosis of the AD is difficult. In pre-dementia stage, it is misinterpreted as an aging process or due to stress. Due to late diagnosis, many AD patients die. The immediate causes of their death are dehydration and pneumonia.
Every AD patient needs proper care. Family members should not isolate the patient. I remember the movie “OK JAANU” in which NASEERUDIN SHAH takes care of her wife who is Alzheimer’s patient. The love and patience he shows towards his wife are remarkable. Every AD patient should be taken care as shown in the movie.