what is alzheimer's caused by
Alzheimer's disease is a condition of abnormality characterized by decreased memory, decreased ability to think and speak, and behavioral changes in patients due to disorders in the brain that are progressive or slow.
In the early stages, a person with Alzheimer's disease will usually look easy to forget, such as forgetting the name of a thing or place, forgetting about recent events, and forgetting about the contents of a conversation that has just been discussed with others.
As time progresses, symptoms will increase. People with Alzheimer's disease will then have difficulty planning, difficulty speaking or pouring into language, difficulty making decisions, often confused, lost in familiar places, experiencing anxiety disorders and mood swings, and experiencing personality changes, such as suspicion, prosecutor, and aggressive. In severe cases, people with Alzheimer's disease can experience delusions and hallucinations, and are unable to perform activities or even unable to move without the help of others.
There are several factors that can increase a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease, among which is an unhealthy lifestyle, female sex, aged over 65 years, have parents or siblings who are sick Alzheimer's, have a history of heart disease, and have experienced injuries heavy on the head.
CAUSE OF ALZHEIMER DISEASES
Until now the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. But the experts who conducted the study suggested that in the brains of the patient occurred the deposition of beta-amyloid protein and neurofibril tangles that block the supply of nutrients between brain cells. Over time, sedimentary amyloid beta and tangled neurofibrils will damage and kill brain cells that eventually make the size of the brain shrink. When the process is running, symptoms will appear in patients, namely in the form of reduced memory, mood swings, and decreased ability to talk. Damage to brain cells can also lower levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that impact on the intermittent coordination of the brain nerve.
Here are some factors that can increase a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease.
- Age. Alzheimer's disease is susceptible to people over the age of 65 (especially for those over 80). But of the overall case, five percent of people with Alzheimer's disease are people aged 40-65 years.
- Has suffered a severe injury to the part
- Genetic. According to the study, those who have parents or siblings with Alzheimer's will be more at risk of developing the same disease. Less than five percent of cases of Alzheimer's disease occur as a result of genetic changes or mutations derived from previous generations.
- Have Down syndrome. Genetic disorders that cause the occurrence of Down syndrome can also cause the buildup of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain that trigger the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.
- Have mild cognitive impairment. People with this condition will usually have memory problems that may worsen with age.
In addition to the factors above, a number of factors that can increase the risk of heart disease can also increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, be alert if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, rarely exercise, rarely eat fibrous foods, suffer from high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
DIAGNOSIS OF ALZHEIMER DISEASES
Alzheimer's diagnosed early can make the patient have more time to prepare and plan for the future. One more important thing is getting faster handling.
Actually the most accurate way of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is through an autopsy that allows the examiner to see the patient's brain tissue.
The doctor will suspect a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease if the questions answered by the patient around the symptoms, his or her family's health history (including the drugs consumed), and lifestyle leads to a disease other than Alzheimer's.
In addition to asking questions related to the above matters, the doctor is also likely to do:
Examination of blood in the laboratory. This examination is performed to determine whether there are other conditions other than Alzheimer's disease that causes the patient to experience memory loss or confusion, such as vitamin deficiency or thyroid disorders.
Examination This examination is done to find out how well the patient's nervous function, for example by testing the balance, coordination, reflex power, the ability to hear or see, and muscle strength when getting up from sitting or walking.
Mental examination and examination is done to determine the ability to think, memory, and mental function of patients compared with people of the same age and same level of education.
Brain scans. This examination is performed to detect any abnormalities or changes in the brain and to ensure that it is caused by Alzheimer's disease and not other conditions, such as severe injury, stroke, or tumor. Brain scanning methods can be performed with CT scan, MRI, cerebrospinal fluid examination, and positron emission tomography.
TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER DISEASES
Alzheimer's disease can not be cured. Current treatment measures only aim to relieve symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, and make the patient can live as independently as possible.
The types of drugs that are usually prescribed by doctors for Alzheimer's disease are rivastigmine, galantamine, donepezil, and memantine. These four drugs are able to relieve symptoms of dementia by increasing the levels of certain substances in the brain.
Rivastigne, galantamine, and donepezil are commonly used to treat Alzheimer's disease with early to mid-level symptoms. These three drugs include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) that are able to prevent the decrease in the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (a substance that plays a role in learning and memory of the brain). While memantine is usually prescribed for people with Alzheimer's with symptoms of intermediate stage who can not take the drug ACE inhibitors. Memantine can also be prescribed to Alzheimer's sufferers with symptoms that have entered the final stage.
Side effects that may arise from eating rivastigne, galantamine, and donepezil are:
Kram otot
Diarrhea
Nausea
Insomnia
Fatigue
Headache
Dizziness
Agitation
Decreased heart rhythm
Kram otot
Diarrhea
Nausea
Insomnia
Fatigue
Headache
Dizziness
Agitation
Decreased heart rhythm
While the side effects that may arise from consuming memantine are:
Headache
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Constipation
Fatigue
Hypertension
Feeling confused
Impaired balance
In addition to medication, psychological treatments can also be applied to treat Alzheimer's disease.
Cognitive stimulation. This method aims to improve memory, communication skills, and ability to solve problems.
Relaxation therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. This method aims to reduce hallucinations, delusions, agitation, anxiety, depression experienced by people with Alzheimer's.
If you have Alzheimer's disease or have a family with this disease, do the following tips at home.
Make notes on the things you want to do and paste the notes on the door, refrigerator, near the television, or anywhere else that is easily visible.
Set alarms on your watch / phone as a reminder or notify people you trust about your planned activities and ask them to remind them.
Save contacts of relatives, friends, or people you need in the phone book and on the phone.
Keep the key in a place that you usually remember and easily visible.
Set the exact date on your phone so you do not forget the day or if you need to start subscribing to the newspaper every day.
Place the labels on each closed container so that you do not forget the contents, such as in a drawer or cupboard.
Install the handle on the stairs or the bathroom to avoid the self from falling.
Reduce the number of mirrors because it can make people with Alzheimer's confusion or even fear.
Arrange the furniture so as not to disturb and endanger the patient's movement.
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