According to experts, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease significantly increases over the age of 55. Seeing how you or someone you love forgets things all the time and suspecting he or she are suffering from Alzheimer’s is a difficult experience, but forgetting things doesn’t have to be caused by the disease. Learning to recognize the early signs improves your chances of getting proper care and the quality of your future life as well.
Statistical data shows that Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a brain disorder which seriously affects the memory and causes cognitive changes. And, even though all memory loss doesn’t always indicate Alzheimer’s, 1 out of 10 people over 65 and over half of the population over 85 are suffering from the disease. At the moment, about 26 million people have dementia, and over 15 million Americans will be affected by the disorder by 2050.
The worst thing about Alzheimer’s disease are the symptoms, which develop slowly and get worse over time. They progress from simple forgetfulness to brain impairment. Different chemical and structural changes in the brain gradually terminate the ability to learn, remember, reason and relate which results in personality loss and body systems failing.
Common risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease
The main factors of the disease are age, family history and genetics, but there are other factors you might influence. Try to keep your blood pressure steady, and keep your heart healthy as well. Maintain your weight, avoid smoking and drinking too much, stay connected with people and exercise regularly, both physically and mentally.
The most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s
As we mentioned before, the symptoms are almost unnoticeable at the start until they progress and start interfering with your activities. Although there are some common Alzheimer’s symptoms, they are unique to every person, and 2 people suffering from the disease are unlikely to experience the same symptoms.
That being said, health experts consider memory lapses as the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease. People may start having problems recalling past events and learning new information due to the damage to the hippocampus, a part of the brain that has a vital role in everyday memory. Memories that happened a long time ago are not affected in the early stages of the disease.
As the condition progresses, the memory loss affects day-to-day activities – the person may start losing items, struggle to find words, forget names, recent conversations and events, get lost in a familiar place, etc.
Here are the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease you should never ignore:
- Memory loss;
- Mood swings;
- Reacting slowly to new situations;
- Losing the ability to learn new things;
- Losing the ability to understand things;
- You like to spend your time alone;
- Trouble communicating;
- Reduced performance in everyday activities;
- Anger and frustration;
- Lack of energy and fatigue.
Don’t ignore the early signs of this terrible condition – catching them on time improves your chances of leading a better life in the future.
Source : naturalhealingmagazine.net
