SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER'S
Alzheimer's is a progressive form of dementia that affects a person's memory, thinking, and overall behavior. Alzheimer's attacks the brain reducing the number of nerve cell connections that control intellectual and physical functioning of the brain. Alzheimer's is the most prevalent form of dementia accounting for greater than 50% of all cases of dementia. Risk factors being associated with the development of Alzheimer's include Down syndrome, Genetic risk inherited with apolipoprotein E, and diabetics due to high insulin levels
The rate of Alzheimer's progression varies amongst individuals and each stage can last from months to years. Early stages of Alzheimer's disease can go unnoticed because there is the myth that memory loss occurs with age. Memory loss associated with Alzheimer's is different from regular loss of memory associated with aging because it is in response to changes within the brain that affects learning and behavior. As a result early signs of memory loss display difficulty in remembering current events or newly learned information. Many people suffering from Alzheimer's may not be aware of their memory loss or change in behavior, but it is more evident to family and friends close to the individual.
The first stage of Alzheimer's is mild typically lasting anywhere from 2 to 4 years and common symptoms are poor judgment, losing of objects, memory loss, difficulty remembering how to perform routine tasks and mood swing. The second stage of Alzheimer's is moderate and can last a period on average 2 to 10 years. People in this stage of Alzheimer's may have difficulty recognizing familiar people, confusion of past memories with the present, and problems, reading and writing as well as speech problems normally exist. The third stage of Alzheimer's is considered the late stage of Alzheimer's in which the person is clearly disabled and must receive individualized care. In the late stage of Alzheimer's people may experience urinary and stool incontinence, increasing incidents of wandering or getting lost, loss of the ability to communicate, and complete loss of both short and long term memory. People in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease will need care and assistance in performing the normal activities of daily living. Alzheimer's disease itself is not a terminal illness, but it weakened the body making people more vulnerable to other illness and diseases. Alzheimer's patients are prone to skin infections, and severe respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia.