What is Alzheimer’s? The basics

Alzheimer's is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder

What is Alzheimer’s? The basics

Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that affects your memory and other thinking abilities, which makes it increasingly difficult to carry out simple, day-to-day tasks.

In most cases, Alzheimer’s symptoms begin to manifest between the ages of 60 and 65.

However, some symptoms of cognitive deterioration (difficulty thinking, remembering and reasoning) are a normal part of the aging process and should not be confused with Alzheimer’s symptoms.

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Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia in elderly people

According to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia in elderly people (accounting for 60 % to 70 %).

Dementia refers to a group of diseases that cause deterioration in cognitive functions (thinking, remembering, reasoning) and behavioral skills and that can eventually interfere with a person’s ability to carry out everyday activities.

Dementia has a wide range, from mild dementia, which occurs just as the person´s normal brain functioning is starting to be affected, to severe dementia, in which the patient depends completely on other people to carry out basic tasks.

The causes of dementia vary depending on the changes that occur in the brain. Although Alzheimer’s is the most common, other forms of dementia include: vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia (where abnormal protein deposits develop in nerve cells) and a group of diseases that can contribute to frontotemporal dementia (degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain).

It is common for people to have mixed dementia, meaning that they suffer from two or more forms of dementia. For example, some people may suffer from Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Why is it called Alzheimer’s?

Dr. Alois Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist who studied this disease.
Dr. Alois Alzheimer, German psychiatrist and neuropathologist who studied this disease

Alzheimer’s disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer (a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist) who, in 1906, discovered certain changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died following an unusual mental disease.

Her symptoms had included memory loss, language difficulties and unpredictable behavior. After she died, Dr Alzheimer examined her brain and found a number of abnormal masses (amyloid plaques) and tangled fibers (neurofibrillary tangles).

These plaques and tangled fibers are now considered to be characteristics of Alzheimer’s. Another characteristic of this disease is the loss of connection between nerve cells in the brain (neurons).

Neurons are responsible for transmitting information between different parts of the brain and the muscles or other organs in the body. It is thanks to neurons that we are able to think, learn, remember, see, smell and hear.

It is important to understand what is happening in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s in order to give them the help they need.

Difference between Alzheimer’s and the typical changes that come with aging

Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. Although aging is a factor that increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s and most people that suffer from the disease are over the age of 65, this does not mean that all adults will eventually develop this type of dementia.

In fact, it is important to know that Alzheimer’s is a pathology that can develop in young people as well, which brings us to our next question, what can we do to help prevent it?

If you are concerned about how you or a loved one is feeling, the table below may help you differentiate between Alzheimer’s symptoms and the normal cognitive changes that come with aging:

Not Alzheimer’s

  • Occasionally making poor decisions
  • Occasionally forgetting to pay a bill
  • Temporarily forgetting what day it is and remembering later on
  • Occasionally forgetting the proper word for something
  • Confusing or forgetting names

Alzheimer’s

  • Poor judgement and frequently making poor decisions
  • Forgetting so many payments that you are unable to manage your own budget
  • Forgetting what year or season it is
  • Finding it difficult to maintain a conversation
  • Not remembering names or your relationship with people you know

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Early-onset Alzheimer´s

Depending on the stage in which Alzheimer’s is progressing, different symptoms can occur that have nothing to do with changes caused by the normal aging process.

Therefore, if you suspect that you, or someone close to you, may be developing Alzheimer’s, you should talk to your doctor immediately. Alzheimer’s is brought on by certain changes that occur in the brain, which can only be diagnosed by a specialist.

Want to know how to find out if you have Alzheimer’s? Click here.

More and more research on this disease is being carried out each day as, although it is very common, there is a lot we don’t know about Alzheimer’s. If you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, remember that you are not alone.

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