Introduction
American has been experiencing an increase in the number of the aging population over the past few years. More people are retiring from their jobs and joining the aging group of the community. The major challenge with the aging population has been increased healthcare costs, especially due to increased health conditions associated with aging. One of such conditions which are common amongst the aging population is Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer is a disorder that is associated with the wasting away of the brain cells, which then leads to the continuous decline in the thinking skills as well as the inability of an individual to independently perform. Alzheimer is currently becoming a national health problem, especially amongst the aging population, yet very many people do not understand what this disorder is and how it works. This paper seeks to inquire and analyze Alzheimer disorder, including its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and prevention.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
The major symptom of Alzheimer is memory loss. At the initial stage, one may have difficulty remembering recent events, but as the diseases advances, memory loss worsens, and other signs may come in. While it is normal to lose memory, the memory loss that is associated with Alzheimer can persist to the extent of rendering one unable to function normally. People with Alzheimer usually forget conversations, get lost in familiar places, or even forget the names of the family members (Heneka et al., 2015). Some may develop routinely misplaced possessions, difficulty finding the right word for a familiar object, or repeating questions.
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People with Alzheimer also have difficulty in thinking and reasoning. They may experience difficulty to concentrate or to remember concepts such as numbers. The condition makes people unable to multitask due to low concentration abilities. As a result, they may have a problem managing finance or anything that deals with figures. As the condition progresses, one may be unable to recognize and deal with numbers completely. The patients may also lose their ability to make judgments and decisions in daily activities. It makes one unable to decide on the right clothing according to weather, the right social interaction, and the inability to solve routine problems. Over time, an individual may lose the ability to perform familiar tasks such as dressing or bathing, and at this stage, a person cannot function independently thus the need for a caretaker (Heneka et al., 2015). People with Alzheimer experience change in the normal functioning of the brain, and this can lead to alteration in the personality and moods of an individual. Changes in mood can entail social withdrawal, delusions, wandering, and aggressiveness. At this stage of the disease, the condition may be life-threatening to the patient if treatment measures are not sought in time.
Causes of Alzheimer
Previous studies have made scientists believe that Alzheimer is caused by a combination of environmental, genetic, and lifestyle factors that come to affect the brain over time, and symptoms mainly come out as one age. These factors disrupt the brain cells known as neurons. When neurons are damaged, they lose connection and become unable to function normally. As scientists continue to understand the complex changes in the brain that are associated with progression of Alzheimer, it has been found that such changes start decades before the onset of the symptoms and that is why the disease is common in older people. At the initial stages of changes in the brain, one is usually free of any symptoms, yet the toxic changes continue to occur in the brain (Kumar & Singh, 2015). The damage to the brain mainly begins in the part that controls memory. As more neurons get damaged over the years, the damage spread to the other brain regions, and at the late stages, the functioning ability of the brain has been completely impaired.
Figure 1.0: Change in Brain
Research over the cause of Alzheimer’s has focused on two major proteins, plaques and tangles. The abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques, which then cluster together to have a toxic effect on the brain neurons and hinders cell-to-cell communication. The tau proteins, on the other hand, play a key role in neuron’s internal support as well as the transport system carrying the nutrients. Under Alzheimer’s, the shape of the tau proteins changes, and this makes them unable to continue with their function. At the initial stage, the damage usually appears to be in the cortex and hippocampus areas which are responsible for memory (Kumar & Singh, 2015). As more neurons get damaged, it spreads to other parts of the brain, making it unable to function completely.
Risk Factors
The major known risk factor for Alzheimer is age. As one grows older, the chances of developing Alzheimer increases, and this explains why the disease is common amongst the aging population. Recent studies have shown that more than 50% of the new diagnosis of Alzheimer annually are people aged 60-74 (Karch & Goate, 2015). Also, family history and genetic factors come as risk factors in the development of Alzheimer.one is at a higher risk of getting Alzheimer if someone within the family member had the disease. Even though the genetic nature of the disease is not understood, scientists have focused on the mutation of the three genes that make it a guarantee that a person who inherits such genes will develop Alzheimer.
Another risk factor associated with Alzheimer is Down syndrome. Most people with Down syndrome are more likely to develop the disease due to the three chromosome copies, which lead to the formation of a beta-amyloid (Dubois et al., 2016). It has also been found that while the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer can take many decades before appearing, it can only take up to around ten years to appear in people with down syndrome. Post head trauma and poor lifestyle can also increase the risk of one getting Alzheimer. Lifestyles such as smoking, obesity, high levels of cholesterol, and lack of exercise also increase the risk of one developing the disease at old age.
Prevention
Alzheimer has been identified as a non-preventable condition. However, the only prevention for the disease is to modify various risk factors that can increase the chances of an individual getting the disease. Healthy lifestyle such as exercise, healthy diet, avoiding smoke, and following the treatment guidelines can help one live healthy and free from the symptoms. The disease is complex, and it is unlikely that a single drug can be used to treat it. The focus of treatment is to help people maintain proper mental function, manage their behavioral symptoms, and improve memory functioning (Godyń et al., 2016). Several medications have been suggested as being appropriate in maintaining the mental functioning of the patients. These drugs, when combined with behavior management, can reduce the symptoms and put the patient in a stable mental ability.
Conclusion
Alzheimer is increasingly becoming a common disease, especially amongst the aging population and putting a lot of burden on the healthcare sector. However, many aspects of this disease are never understood by many and often confused with a normal memory loss. Alzheimer can result in permanent damage to the brain cells and lead to the loss of memory, impaired thinking, reasoning, and decision making. It is important that signs are identified early so that interventions can be taken early enough to manage it and maintain the mental functioning of the patient.
References
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Godyń, J., Jończyk, J., Panek, D., & Malawska, B. (2016). Therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease in clinical trials. Pharmacological Reports , 68 (1), 127-138.
Heneka, M. T., Carson, M. J., El Khoury, J., Landreth, G. E., Brosseron, F., Feinstein, D. L., ... & Herrup, K. (2015). Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. The Lancet Neurology , 14 (4), 388-405.
Karch, C. M., & Goate, A. M. (2015). Alzheimer’s disease risk genes and mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. Biological psychiatry , 77 (1), 43-51.
Kumar, A., & Singh, A. (2015). A review on Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology and its management: an update. Pharmacological reports , 67 (2), 195-203.
