Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia is commonly referred to as loss of memory and loss of cognitive abilities in general. Alzheimer’s causes memory problems, thinking, and behavior due to microscopic changes in brain cells. It is worth noting that Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging and aging, but a disease.
Symptoms of Alzheimer ‘s disease
Changes occur in the brain cells long before the onset of symptoms, and symptoms begin gradually and slowly and worsen over time until these symptoms have problems in the ability to carry out daily activities. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Loss of memory and frequent forgetfulness: Memory loss and forgetfulness are one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. They may be the only symptoms to be observed, but memory loss continues and increases over time to affect a person’s ability to work and perform his or her duties, And this distinguishes him from the natural forgetfulness that may be exposed to all persons; for example, may repeat Alzheimer’s patient speech and questions without awareness of the repetition, as may forget the dates and conversations do not remember later, in addition to the needs of the places in the logical and forgotten, and the loss when he was in the He was familiar to him, and the difficulty of preselected words, and Alzheimer’s disease leads eventually to forget the names of the members of his family and daily affairs.
- Difficult to think and justify: The Alzheimer’s patient finds it difficult to concentrate and think, especially in abstract concepts, such as numbers. It is difficult for the patient to pay bills and make physical calculations, and the disease causes difficulty in performing multiple tasks at the same time (Multitasking). These difficulties and obstacles In the inability to deal with the numbers and their awareness when the disease develops.
- Difficulty in making judgments and decisions: It is difficult for people with Alzheimer’s disease to be able to deal with everyday problems such as sudden positions during driving, and the severity of these difficulties with the passage of time more.
- Difficulty doing familiar tasks: Alzheimer’s disease, as it progresses, causes the patient to have difficulty planning and doing the familiar tasks that require sequential steps, such as planning a particular meal, and in advanced situations a person may not be able to do basic things like showering or dressing. Of the skills learned in infancy are lost only in the very advanced stages of the disease; because the part of the brain that keeps the information acquired in the early stages of life is affected only in later stages of the disease.
- Fluctuations in personality and modus operandi: The disease may cause changes in the way the person behaves and feels. The patient may experience depression, apathy, social withdrawal, mood swings, and loss of consciousness. Trust in others, Aggressiveness, Wandering, delusions, change in the nature of sleep, and loss of controls.
Causes of Alzheimer’s disease and risk factors
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by atrophy of certain parts of the brain, but the cause of deformity is not yet known, but abnormal deposits of proteins called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary Tungles contain Tau Protein, an imbalance in the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and brain damage in the brain (Brain Vascular Damage) is common in patients Alzheimer’s, which effectively reduces Yeh neurons (in English: Neurons) and gradually destroyed, and the extension of damage to other areas of the brain.
The following factors are considered to increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease:
- Age: The risk of the disease increases every five years after the age of 65, but that does not mean that younger people will not be infected; early onset Alzheimer’s disease may have one in 20 people around the age of 40.
- Family history of the disease: Although the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is low in the case of a family history and the presence of people with first-degree relatives, some inherited genes may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Down’s syndrome: People with Down’s Syndrome are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, because the genetic defect that causes the syndrome causes the accumulation of amyloid patches in the brain over time.
- Head injuries: People with severe head injuries were found to be more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
- Cardiovascular disease: Studies suggest that a lifestyle that increases the incidence of cardiovascular disease also increases the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and High Cholesterol.
Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
It is difficult to determine the proven methods of preventing Alzheimer’s disease because of the lack of knowledge of the cause of the occurrence in detail, but it is possible to follow some actions that may slow down the emergence, including the following:
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease: By stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising for at least 150 minutes per week, controlling blood pressure by following blood pressure readings, ensuring that they are within the target values, controlling diabetes by following an appropriate diet, Described by the doctor.
- Muffling on mental and physical activity: There is some evidence of a low risk of dementia in people who maintain mental, social, and physical activity. This can be done by practicing reading, learning foreign languages, swimming, and practicing various forms of sport.
Treatment of Alzheimer ‘s disease
A plan for the care of Alzheimer’s patients is important. This plan ensures that the patient receives the necessary treatments and procedures according to his or her needs and condition. In the early stages of the disease, the patient can develop a future plan for his care when the disease is advanced and discussed with the doctor or family members. Palliative Care: In cases of advanced incurable disease, in order to provide as much comfort to the patient as possible. Although there is no current treatment for the disease, some treatments may be used that may temporarily reduce symptoms and slow the development of the disease. Disease, and these treatments are as follows:
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: Some acetylcholinesterase inhibitors may be used in cases of mild and moderate disease, according to the recommendations of a specialist doctor, such as Donepezil, Galantamine, and Rivastigmine. Side effects may include: Dizziness, Diarrhoea, Headache, Insomnia, and Muscle Cramps.
- N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor inhibitors: Memantine, which works by inhibiting N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor inhibitors (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor inhibitors), can be used in cases of moderate disease for people who can not use acetylcholine acetate inhibitors, or In cases of advanced disease. Side effects include dizziness, headache, high blood pressure, tiredness, constipation, shortness of breath, and other rare side effects. .