Alzheimer’s Disease – Overview – Symptoms, Causes, Risks
Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive brain disorder that leads to the wasting or degeneration of the cells of the brain. It is the primary cause of dementia and might hamper the ability of the person to operate independently. One of the most common and an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease could be forgetting recent conversations or events. With the progression of the disease, the person may experience memory impairment or be unable to perform day-to-day tasks. John, an expert of online assignment help Australia, shares his experience stating that even though his dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease quite early on, no amount of medication or care was ever enough.
Symptoms
- Memory loss
A person with memory loss issue might:
- repeat the questions or the statements over and over again
- get lost even in the place that is familiar to them
- forget appointments, conversations, and events
- eventually, forget the names of people and things they see every day
- forget the right words to express thoughts, or identify objects
- Problems with reasoning and thinking
For a person with Alzheimer, it might get difficult to concentrate or think, especially when dealing with abstract concepts like numbers. For them, multitasking is extremely difficult, and managing finances suddenly becomes challenging. The difficulties with numbers only progress with time. Yasmeen, an expert of statistics who you can reach for online do my statistics homework services, says that her father had been an accounting professional all his life, and this disease took away his skill bit by bit.
- Inability to make decisions or judgments
Usually, those with the disease are unable to take day-to-day life decisions or make a judgement of very basic things.
Causes
Alzheimer’s disease usually occurs as a combination of environmental, genetic, and lifestyle factors that have an impact on the brain over time. Unfortunately, in most cases, the damage starts much ahead of the emergence of the first symptoms on the part of the brain that’s responsible for memory control. When the disease is in its later stage, it has possibly caused the brain to shrink. Rhea, an associate with a popular blog, TrumpLearning, says that her mum had Alzheimer’s disease, and there were no symptoms of it for a long-long time, and when the symptoms starting appearing, things were out of hand. Usually, this loss of neuron happens in a rather predictable manner to the brain’s other regions, and with the advancement of the disease, the brain critically shrinks.
Two proteins might have a significant role to play in the trigger of the disease. These include:
- Tangles
The Tau protein has a pivotal role to play in the internal transport system of essential nutrients and support of the neurons. When a person has Alzheimer’s disease, the protein changes shape and takes the form of a complex structure called the neurofibrillary tangles. These tangles are not only toxic to cells but also hamper transport.
- Plaques
A leftover fragment of a significantly bigger protein, Beta-amyloid tends to form clusters that obstruct cell-to-cell communication and harm the neurons. The clusters then result in the formation of larger deposits known as amyloid plaques, which include cellular debris too.
Risks
- Age
Though Alzheimer’s disease isn’t a part of ageing but the risk of the disease increases as you age.
- Genetics
The risk of developing the disease is more if any of your first-degree relatives had this disease. Genelia, an online professional offering write my essay for me services, says that her grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease, and from her, it was passed onto her mom, so she particularly takes care of what she eats and her lifestyle to try to keep the disease far from her.
- Down syndrome
A lot of people who have down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
- Sex
Usually, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is higher in women compared to men. It is also because women tend to live longer than men.
- MCI or Mild cognitive impairment
MCI is a condition in which there is a decline in the thinking skills or memory faster than normal for a person’s age. People with MCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
- Head trauma or injury
Somebody with a past head injury is at a higher risk of developing the disease.
- Poor sleeping pattern
Both staying asleep or difficulty in falling asleep could result in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Lifestyle
A few lifestyle issues might also pose a risk in developing the disease. These include:
o inactivity
o smoking
o obesity
o uncontrolled type 2 diabetes
o high cholesterol or blood pressure
- Less learning or social engagement
Usually, people who do not engage in learning through their life or do not undertake socially stimulating activities are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.