Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Knowing the difference between the normal age-related forgetfulness and the signs of Alzheimer's disease is needed to determine the treatment or care that the senior may need. There is help for the elderly when it comes to having Alzheimer's, a form of dementia, through home health services, assisted living facilities, residential care homes, and also nursing homes.Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he discovered some brain abnormalities of a woman who had died of a mental disease. She had exhibited memory loss, personality change, and language problems. Dr. Alzheimer had discovered some plaques and tangles of protein in the spaces and nerves of her brain. Although, no one knows for sure what causes Alzheimer's or how to cure it, scientists have discovered a genetic link in families with Alzheimer's. Age is also a factor. So, knowing what the signs and symptoms of it can help you and your family members prepare for it.The Alzheimer's disease destroys the brain's ability to remember and to reason. Also, language and personality changes occur and eventually the ability to carry out simple everyday living skills is gone. Symptoms can start as early as age thirty, but usually don't begin until we're much older, after age sixty. The older a person is, along with other factors, the more likely he is to develop this disease.

Some symptoms of Alzheimer's are:

1. Alzheimer's usually can not be detected in the beginning stage. Forgetfulness can be just a normal part of aging, like losing keys or a wallet. But, forgetting something that happened an hour ago, our short-term memory, may be an indicator of Alzheimer's.

2. From there, memory lapses with family members names and time and place begin to occur.

3. The next stage may be forgetting how to do simple everyday tasks such as brushing teeth or using a telephone.

4. Language difficulty is a symptom of Alzheimer's. Difficulties include forgetting names of simple everyday things or replacing names of things with another word or phrase.

5. Changes in mood, behavior, and personality usually come in the latter stages. Someone with Alzheimer's may become irritable, confused, and fearful of surroundings that used to be familiar to him, which may cause him to start wandering.

6. Lastly, he may begin showing symptoms of being passive, just sitting and not wanting to do anything.

Right now, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. However, there are medications that are able to ease the symptoms. Be sure to see a doctor as soon as you suspect something, especially if Alzheimer's is in the family history. The doctor will ask questions and help determine if the symptoms are actually the beginning of Alzheimer's. The sooner you know what your dealing with, the sooner plans can be put in place to care for yourself or your loved one.