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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Augusta, Ga. – Everyone gets confused or forgetful on occasion. But for the 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, these occasions are increasingly severe and can produce erratic and sometimes
dangerous behavior. That’s why it is essential to quickly identify and help people with this illness.
Just like the rest of our bodies, our brains change as we age. Most of
us notice slowed thinking and occasional problems remembering certain
things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and other major changes
in the way our minds work are not a normal part of aging and may be a
sign that brain cells are failing.
In Alzheimer’s disease, as in other types of dementia, increasing
numbers of brain cells deteriorate and die. In most cases, symptoms
first appear after age 60, and the risk goes up if a family member has
had the disease.
In recognition of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in November, here is
information from the Alzheimer’s Association that may help you better
understand and recognize this dementia.
The 10 common warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are:
1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at
leisure.
4. Confusion with time or place.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
8. Decreased or poor judgment.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
10. Changes in mood and personality.
For people with dementia and their families, an early diagnosis has a
couple of advantages. First, it leaves time to make choices that
maximize the quality of life through appropriate treatment. Second, it
lessens anxieties about unknown problems, allowing more time to plan for
the future.
Every 70 seconds someone will develop Alzheimer’s making this the
seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Currently, there
is no cure, but medication and alternative treatments may help with both
cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is life-changing for the
individual diagnosed and all those close to him or her. One of the most
important goals of the MCGHealth Memory Disorders Clinic, the region’s
only clinic dedicated to diagnosing and treating memory loss, is
supportive care for patients and families through education and
awareness.
Research has shown that taking full advantage of available treatment,
care and support, can make life better for those living with
Alzheimer’s. If you have concerns about memory loss, thinking
skills and behavior changes in yourself or a loved one, contact your
doctor.
MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation
operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical
Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient
facilities and services throughout the state.
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