June: Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month.
Degenerative disease that causes and progressive decline in memory and other mental functions. Causes of Alzheimer’s include combination of age-related issues, genetic, lifestyle and Environmental factors play a big role in developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
- Loss of memory and confusion
- Difficulty learning new things, manifested as anxiety when exposed to new things
- Language dysfunction, manifested as word finding difficulty, the culture with the reading writing and working with numbers
- Difficulty with organizing task
- Abnormal logical thinking
- Very showed attention span
- Difficulty coping and emotional outburst
How to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
- Eating healthy, avoid excessive carbohydrate, include fruits and vegetables and healthy nuts your diet. Basically balanced diet
- Exercise, at least 150 minutes moderate intensity exercise like fast walking
- Socially active and learn new things
- Proper sleep hygiene
- Life style modifications also includes : Stopped smoking, Avoid excessive alcohol
Diagnosis
- Clinical diagnosis.
- Memory testing to assess the stage of Disease
- MRI brain; help to assess extend of cell loos( atrophy) but not diagnostic.
- Variety of imaging modalities including structural and functional MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) studies of cerebral metabolism with fluoro-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) and amyloid tracers ( Most insurance don’t cover)
How to treat Alzheimer’s disease
- No cure
- Memory enhancing medications to keep the activities of daily living independent. Whole family/caregiver approach
