Symptoms and signs of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive form of senile dementia characterized by complete loss of cognitive abilities. The disease affects people over 65 years old. The causes of Alzheimer's disease are still unknown. Heredity, viruses, injuries, specific reactions of the immune system, the influence of toxic substances are factors that, according to scientists, can give impetus to the development of pathology. Inexplicable, but a fact: the disease is most common in developed countries with a high standard of living. Alzheimer's disease is extremely rare in African and Asian countries.
Factors of increased risk:
- severe psychological traumas;
- slow-flowing depression;
- craniocerebral injuries;
- high blood pressure and atherosclerosis;
- diabetes;
- diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular system, leading to oxygen deficiency;
- female sex;
- low intelligence, overweight.
Irreversible processes occur in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's disease, leading to the death of nerve cells and compression of brain tissue.
Clinical manifestations of the disease
The main symptom of the disease is forgetfulness. The patient gets confused in the names of objects and names. Difficulties in planning and organizing one's own time are noted. Interest in previously favorite activities is gradually lost. Oral speech suffers - the patient chooses words for a long time, using the same intonation, but different in meaning. Movement coordination is impaired. The ability to read and write is still preserved. All this is characteristic of the first stage of the disease.
The second stage is the phase of moderate cognitive impairment. Its manifestations:
- disorientation in place and time;
- change in gait, slight muscle weakness;
- the patient does not make contact;
- difficulties with writing and oral calculation;
- handwriting change;
- confusion with dates and names;
- insomnia disorders (the patient confuses day with night).
At this stage, the patient still copes with the usual household chores and fully takes care of himself. There are difficulties with the operation of household appliances.
Symptoms and signs of Alzheimer's disease in a severe stage. The patient needs constant care and assistance. Contact in many cases is difficult - the patient loses the ability to speak meaningfully and can only utter individual words or phrases. The patient has difficulty walking and sitting, muscle stiffness increases. In some cases, the weakening of swallowing and chewing reflexes is possible.
In the last stage of Alzheimer's, intercurrent diseases (hypostatic pneumonia, infected bedsores, paresis of the intestines) appear, which repeatedly complicate the course of the main pathology.
On our site Dobrobut.com, you can make an appointment with a specialist and consult on this or that issue in a personal conversation. The doctor will answer your questions and tell you about methods of prevention of early Alzheimer's. You can sign up at any time convenient for you.
Diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's syndrome
Diagnosis of the disease is very time-consuming. The doctor must collect a complete medical history, study heredity, conduct a conversation with the patient and his relatives, prescribe a number of necessary tests, including a test for Alzheimer's. Laboratory tests, computer tomography, electroencephalography, positron emission tomography, cerebrospinal fluid puncture, neuropsychological tests are additional examinations necessary for diagnosis.
Treatment of Alzheimer's syndrome. At the moment, there are no drugs that guarantee a complete cure of the disease. Treatment begins with the correction of somatic disorders and metabolic pathologies. Restoration of blood supply to brain cells, purification of blood plasma from toxic products, improvement of the general condition significantly reduce the severity of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and in most cases stop the pathological process. Symptomatic treatment is aimed at eliminating such manifestations as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, depression.
At the initial stage, drugs with cholinesterase inhibitors are recommended, which will reduce the clinical symptoms of nervous system disorders. At the stage of moderate changes, a good addition will be psycho-emotional treatment methods, namely: simulation of presence, art room, memory therapy, etc. Let us remind you that the care and participation of relatives is extremely important for the patient. Our specialist will give valuable recommendations to the patient's relatives at a personal appointment. In addition, the doctor will tell you how to support the patient's physical activity.
How many people live with Alzheimer's disease
There is no unequivocal answer. Much depends on the stage of the disease, the general condition of the patient and his care. Timely treatment aimed at improving microcirculation and activation of metabolic processes in the brain will help slow down the development of the disease and increase the patient's life expectancy. The doctor of our clinic will tell you more about how long people live with Alzheimer's disease. You can sign up on the website.
Related services:
Centre of clinical neurology, neurorehabilitation and restorative medicine
Center of Clinical Vertebrology
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