Alzheimer's Disease - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments by:James S. Pendergraft

It is not known yet what exactly triggers off the weakening of the brain cells

. There are many factors which lead the growth of Alzheimer's disease.

Causes of Alzheimer's disease:

The chief factor in the growth of Alzheimer's disease is age of the sufferer. The tendency of the growth of the disease is more once you cross the age of 65 and adds up every five years after 65 years of age. But this condition is not faced by older people alone. Alzheimer's disease is genetic, but people even without a family history of Alzheimer's also face this, but it is not as common as the ones with a genetic history.

In case of inherited Alzheimer's the indications start showing earlier like starting from the age of 35 to 60 years of age. The tendency of developing Alzheimer's is higher in case of the people suffering from Down's syndrome. This is due to the presence of an additional copy of the 'chromosome 21', in which a protein which is also present in the brain of the people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

It is proven that people who have had head injuries or bad whiplashes are more prone to Alzheimer's disease. It is also said that aluminium also causes Alzheimer's disease.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease:

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's is quite difficult as the indications are very analogous to many other conditions. None of the cases of Alzheimer's are the same as every individual reacts differently to the condition. There are three stages of Alzheimer's disease: mild, moderate and severe. In case of mild Alzheimer's disease the symptoms would be forgetfulness, weak memory, getting confused, and difficulty in speech and mood swings.

This all occurs as a result of slow loss of the functioning of the brain. In case of moderate Alzheimer's disease the symptoms are: delusions, repetitive behaviour, hallucinations, incontinence, imagining things which you haven't done and disturbance in sleep. This person would even have problems in keeping a track of recent happening. A problem with speech and language can initiate at this is stage. This in turn would build frustrations and depression resulting in mood swings.

In case of severe Alzheimer's the sufferer is highly disoriented and confused. At this stage the person tends to experience delusions and hallucinations. The delusions and hallucinations are worse in the night as the sufferer tends to get violent, suspicious and demanding with people around him.

The symptoms in case of severe Alzheimer's are: loss in weight and appetite, difficulty in swallowing, loss of long and short term memory, highly prone to infection and difficulty in moving about. This is the stage when the sufferer needs to be completely taken care of as there can barely do anything by them.

Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease:

There is no cure of Alzheimer's disease found as yet. But there is medication available which would aid in delaying the growth of the disease. These medications help by averting a chemical breakdown in the brain. As a result the weakening of the brain also slows down.

About the author

Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women's Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women.

http://www.womenscenter.com/

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