It ranges in severity from mild, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to severe, when the person must depend completely on others for basic care. Currently, there is no cure.
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease
Although there is not one particular known cause of Alzheimer’s disease, age is considered the greatest risk factor. Most people who develop Alzheimer’s are 65 years old or older, and the risk increases with age.
People aged 85 years and older are especially at risk of Alzheimer’s. While younger people – in their 30s, 40s, and 50s – may get Alzheimer’s disease, it is less common. Therefore, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of ageing.
Symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease
The most common symptom of early Alzheimer’s is recent memory impairment. This is not the same as short-term memory, which is the ability to hold something in your head long enough to store it for longer-term memory.
On the other hand, individuals with Alzheimer’s typically do not have problems with long-term memory.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may include:
• Forgetfulness;
• Loss of concentration;
• Language problems;
• Confusion about time and place;
• Impaired judgment;
• Loss of insight;
• Impaired movement and coordination;
• Mood and behaviour change;
• Apathy and depression.
Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease but there are ways to treat it. Drug therapy aims to slow disease progression and treat symptoms linked with the disease.
The benefit from drugs used to treat Alzheimer disease is typically small. There are also drug-free ways to treat the disease such as music therapy or memory therapy.
Patients and their families need to discuss with doctors if drug therapy can help improve behaviour or functional abilities.
They also need to discuss whether or not drugs should be prescribed early in the course of the disease or delayed.
The following drugs are commonly prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s:
• Donepezil (Aricept, generic);
• Rivastigmine (Exelon, generic);
• Galantamine (Razadyne, generic);
• Memantine (Namenda).
This article first appeared in hellodoktor.com. The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.