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Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it.

Alzheimer’s disease begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know. Over time, symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care.

Symptoms of Alzheimer

People with Alzheimer’s experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking and reasoning - problems severe enough to have an impact on an individual’s work, social activities and family life.

Loss of judgment. Solving everyday problems, such as knowing what to do if food on the stove is burning, becomes increasingly difficult, eventually impossible. Alzheimer’s is characterized by greater difficulty in doing things that require planning, decision making and judgment.

An impaired ability to carry out motor activities (such as combing their hair) despite intact motor abilities, sensory function and comprehension of the required task (apraxia)

Mood and behavior changes (rapid mood swings, emotional outbursts, personality changes, increased fear or suspicion)

Memory worsens, words are used more and more inappropriately, basic self-care skills are lost, personality changes, agitation develops, can’t recognize distant family or friends, has difficulty communicating, wanders off, becomes deluded and may experience hallucinations.

Language problems (forgetting the names of objects, mixing up words, difficulty completing sentences)

They begin to have problems speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Later on, people with AD may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, patients need total care.

Disorientation — It’s normal to forget the day of the week or where you’re going. People with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost on the street where they live, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.

Misplacing Items — Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places — an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

Causes of Alzheimer

Family history is another risk factor. The disease does seem to run in some families. However, fewer than 10% of cases of Alzheimer disease are familial. Familial Alzheimer disease often occurs at a younger age, between ages 30 and 60 years. This is called early-onset familial Alzheimer disease.

Possible role of tangles: The internal support structure for brain neurons depends on the normal functioning of a protein called tau. In people with Alzheimer’s, threads of tau protein undergo alterations that cause them to become twisted. Many researchers believe this may seriously damage neurons, causing them to die.

Environment to learn what role they might play in the development of this disease. Scientists are finding increasing evidence that some of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low levels of the vitamin folate, may also increase the risk of AD. Evidence for physical, mental, and social activities as protective factors against AD is also increasing.

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The disease can begin many years before it is eventually diagnosed. In its early stages, short-term memory loss is the most common symptom, often initially thought to be caused by aging or stress by the sufferer. Later symptoms include confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline. Gradually the sufferer loses minor, and then major bodily functions, until death occurs. Although the symptoms are common, each individual experiences the symptoms in unique ways. The duration of the disease is estimated as being between 5 and 20 years.

More than 4.5 million Americans are believed to have Alzheimer’s disease and by 2050, the number could increase to 13.2 million. Approximately 65,800 victims die and 350,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease are diagnosed each year. America is not alone in dealing with this terrible affliction. In every nation where life expectancy has increased, so has the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is becoming tragically common. It is estimated that there are currently 26 million people worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease. This figure is projected to grow to more than 106 million people by 2050.

The first sign of Alzheimer disease is a continuous pattern of forgetting things. This starts to affect a person’s daily life. He or she may forget where the grocery store is or the names of family and friends. This stage of the disease may last for some time or quickly progress, causing memory loss and forgetfulness to get worse.

Although some kinds of memory loss are normal parts of aging, the changes due to aging are not severe enough to interfere with the level of function. Many different diseases can cause dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is by far the most common cause for dementia in the United States and in most countries in the world.

Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia among older people is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every day, right now they still do not know what causes AD, and there is no cure.

There is no cure for AD and no way to slow the progression of the disease. For some people in the early or middle stages of AD, medication such as tacrine (Cognex) may alleviate some cognitive symptoms. Donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) may keep some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. A fifth drug, memantine (Namenda), was recently approved for use in the United States. Combining memantine with other.

The likelihood of having Alzheimer’s disease increases substantially after the age of 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85. Nonetheless, Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that inevitably happens in later life. For example, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimer’s disease.

AD drugs may be more effective than any single therapy. One controlled clinical trial found that patients receiving donepezil plus memantine had better cognition and other functions than patients receiving donepezil alone. Also, other medications may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.

The tracer, called Pittsburgh Compound-B, was used during a PET scan on a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 10 months before her death. The tracer showed plaque build-up in the same areas of the brain where plaques were found upon autopsy.

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Consuming an adequate diet is necessary to obtain nutrients and to help individuals stay healthy. The following tips are suggestions that have worked for some Alzheimer patients. However, each patient is different; the caregiver will need to determine what may work for a particular patient. Caregivers need to understand the progressive nature of this disease; solutions that work today may not necessarily work in the future.

Many of the physical, emotional, and social changes that occur with aging can cause may people to lose their appetite as they grow older. Not of these problems can be corrected, but interest in eating a well-balanced nutritious diet must be maintained. Nutritional needs do not decrease as individuals grow older, except for a reduction in the amount of calories needed. A well-balanced nutritious diet can be the best defense an individual has for staying healthy and preventing illness. The following suggestions may help increase interest and food intake for older persons who have decrease in appetites.

Tips To Increase Appetite -

• Have the main meal of the day at breakfast or lunch when appetite is larger, keeping the dinner meal smaller .
• Have five or six smaller meals, rather than only two or three larger meals.
• Take a daily walk or have other physical activity to increase appetite.
• Use familiar foods fixed in a familiar way.
• If the patient simply refuses to eat a balanced diet or is not consuming enough calories, consult with the attending physician about using vita­min and/or mineral supplements.
• Try to include at least one food item in the meal you know the patient likes.

Tips To Overcome Mealtime Confusion -

• Make mealtime a routine that occurs at the same time, in the same place, and with as little confusion as possible.
• Make sure physical surroundings are pleasant and calm, avoiding unnecessary distractions.
• Set aside ample time for meals so they are not rushed.
• Serving one food item at a time may result in less confusion.

About the author: By Robert Baird, author for http://www.alzheimersbasics.org/ . This site provides information on caregiver and treatment therapy . If you want to publish the above article then you are welcome to do so, provided you provide a linkback to authors site at http://www.alzheimersbasics.org/.
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