Alzheimer's disease, first recognized in 1906 by German physician Alois Alzheimer, is a brain disease that affects up to 5.3 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. It increasingly destroys brain cells, causing sufferers to experience more symptoms as they age. Also a fatal disease, Alzheimer's is the seventh highest cause of death in the United States as of 2009.
Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may seem like occasional slight memory loss and some confusion. However, as the disease increasingly impairs the mind, its symptoms become more evident. Some common warning signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's are: persistent and worsening memory loss, disorientation (for example, feeling lost in familiar environments,) problems thinking abstractly, loss of sound judgment, difficulty finding the appropriate words, and trouble performing everyday tasks. Alzheimer's disease can also lead to personality changes such as moodiness, stubbornness, depression, anxiety, distrust in people and withdrawal from social situations.
Causes
So far, there is no single known underlying cause of Alzheimer's. According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's is likely triggered by a combination of environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. For example, a person's chance of developing Alzheimer's increases to nearly 50 percent by age 85 (from only about 5 percent at age 74.) With that, it suggests that some lifestyle factors, including a healthy diet, mental stimulation and plenty of exercise, may help reduce the risk of developing dementias such as Alzheimer's.
Effects on the Brain
Although the underlying causes of Alzheimer's are not well understood, its effects on brain tissue are increasingly understood, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Two different types of brain cell damage affect people who have Alzheimer's. One form of damage occurs when certain plaques form between nerve cells in the brain, interfering with normal brain cell communication. Another form of damage is thought to be caused by protein tangles that form inside brain cells, causing the brain cells to die.
Diagnosis
Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed with full accuracy only through microscopic examination after a person has died. However, by using a variety of tests, doctors can diagnose 90 percent of Alzheimer's cases when patients are alive, according to the Mayo Clinic. Different diagnostic tests include blood tests, neuropsychological exams (assessing a person's memory and thinking skills) and a variety of brain imaging scans.
Primary Treatments
Even though Alzheimer's cannot yet be cured, certain treatments may help slow brain decline and improve signs and symptoms. One group of medications is cholinesterase (ko-li-nes-ter-ace) inhibitors. These drugs work by increasing the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but they have their share of negative side effects (including nausea and diarrhea) and they have as high as a 50 percent failure rate, says the Mayo Clinic. Another drug, memantine, protects cells in the brain from damage caused by a chemical messenger called glutamate. Memantine also has side effects, including dizziness and agitation.
Alternative Treatments
Although natural treatments, including vitamin E supplements, ginkgo biloba supplements and Huperzine A, have been used as alternative Alzheimer's treatments, scientific studies are widely inconclusive regarding their efficacy. Anyone curious about taking the natural route should seek advice from a licensed physician.
