Many elderly people who have forgotten the name of his family members or forget where to put in an item. Forget such a natural thing. However, forget the way home, confused when you are in a place that should be recognized, or ask the same questions over and over again can be a sign of a more serious problem. The person may suffer from Alzheimer's disease. This disease affects the brain slowly and gets worse over time.
What is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a disease that affects the brain. This disease results in a number of brain cells dying. This will affect a person's ability to remember things, thinking, or pass judgment on something. Not yet known exactly what causes this disease. However, the disease usually begin to appear after the age of 60 years.
What happens when someone is suffering from Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease usually appear slowly. In fact, some people do not realize that he was suffering from this disease. They tend to blame the age factor as a cause to forget. However, over time, memory problems will worsen.
People with Alzheimer's disease impaired in performing daily activities such as driving, cooking, or count. They are easy to get lost and difficulty performing even the simplest activities. Some of them become anxious or irritable.
Along with the increasingly meburuk condition, people with Alzheimer's disease will need others to meet their needs, including feeding and bathing him.
What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
It is important to recognize the signs of Alzheimer's disease. The more quickly recognized, the faster treatment. Some signs of this disease are as follows.
Early signs:
- It's hard to remember something
- Asking the same question over and over again
- Unable to do simple math
- easy to get lost
- Often losing things or putting things in place that is not fair
Signs of continued:
- Forget how to brush their teeth or combing hair
- Disorientation of time, people, or places
- Forget the names of simple objects, such as a table, a house, an apple
- Often away from home without a clear purpose
What is the difference of Alzheimer's disease with mild cognitive impairment?
Some elderly people experience mild cognitive impairment. This disorder can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. However, not all developing mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer's disease. People with mild cognitive impairment are still able to perform self-care and is able to perform normal activities. Mild cognitive impairment may include:
- Often forget to put stuff
- Forget the promises he made himself
- Difficult start talks
Someone who had mild cognitive impairment, it is advisable to see a doctor regularly every 6-12 months.
The difference between Alzheimer's disease with mild cognitive impairment who normally experienced by the elderly
Alzheimer's disease Mild cognitive impairment normal
Almost always not able to distinguish between good and bad and not being able to make good decisions Only occasionally could not take the decision well
The problem in taking care of monthly bills because of the difficulty counting Forget to pay monthly bills
Not being able to remember the date or the month Forget what day but was able to remember it at a later time
It's hard to communicate Sometimes forget the words used to speak
Often forget to put stuff and can not get back menemukannnya Often forget to put stuff, then found it again, that occur repeatedly
When do we have to call the doctor?
When forgetfulness someone deemed more severe than usual, it was time to call the doctor. Your doctor will check and may also be asking people around the patient to estimate the cause of forgetfulness.
In addition to Alzheimer's disease, memory problems can also be caused by other things such as drugs, emotional stress, food, alcohol, stroke, brain tumor, head injury, or disorders in other organs such as the kidneys, liver, and thyroid. The cause of the memory problems can be dangerous and should be addressed immediately. After treatment, your memory will return as before. If it does not improve with treatment, can be suspected the possibility of Alzheimer's disease.
Is there a cure for Alzheimer's disease?
Until now, has not found a drug that can actually cure this disease. However, there are drugs that can overcome the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Most drugs work better in those early days of the disease. These drugs can prevent memory disorders in order not to worsen. There are also drugs that function relieve anxiety or help to be able to sleep soundly. Necessary caution in using these drugs because these drugs also have side effects that are not good for health.
