Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that results in decreased memory, ability to think and talk, and gradual changes in behavior. This condition is found in people over 65 years.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown.
But Alzheimer’s is thought to occur because of the deposition of proteins in the brain, thus blocking the intake of nutrients to brain cells.
Understanding of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia (decreased ability of brain function) that causes problems with memory, thought and behavior.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily activities.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities that are serious enough to interfere with daily life.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 percent to 80 percent of dementia cases.
Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging.
The biggest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older.
But Alzheimer’s is not only a disease of old age.
Alzheimer’s worsens over time.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease, in which symptoms of dementia gradually worsen for several years.
In the early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to have conversations and respond to their environment.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
In the early stages, people with Alzheimer’s disease will experience memory disorders that are mild in nature, such as forgetting the name of the object or place, and forgetting the events or contents of the conversation that have not happened recently.
Over time, these symptoms will get worse.
At an advanced stage, people with Alzheimer’s disease have difficulty speaking or explaining something, it is difficult to plan something, difficult to make decisions, often look confused, and experience personality changes.
Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is done to reduce the symptoms and development of the disease.
Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is the administration of drugs such as rivastigmine and psychotherapy to stimulate and relax the patient’s brain.
Alzheimer’s patients will experience decreased brain ability, memory, and increasingly lose the ability to control urination.
These things can cause patients to fall, experience malnutrition, cannot communicate, or get infections and experience various other complications.
The development of Alzheimer’s is divided into three main stages, including:
Preclinical, before symptoms appear
Mild cognitive impairment, when symptoms are mild
In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association describes seven stages along cognitive decline, based on the severity of the symptoms.
The scale ranges from uninterrupted conditions, through mild and moderate declines, to finally achieving a very severe decline.
The diagnosis usually does not become clear to stage four, described as mild Alzheimer’s or early stage.
Until now there is no Alzheimer’s drug. However, there are drugs that can be used to slow progress, especially in the early stages. Donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine.
These Alzheimer’s drugs can delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s that are worse.
A brain chemical called glutamate is a substance that damages the brain.
Alzheimer’s drug is believed to be able to protect nerve damage caused by glutamate. This drug has fewer side effects than other drugs.