Alzheimer's Disease - Symptoms and Causes

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by cognitive decline, memory loss, and impaired reasoning. It is the most common reason for dementia in older individuals that affects social and intellectual skills. Over time, changes in memory and thinking capabilities can become significant enough to make daily activities difficult. It is believed that Alzheimer’s is the result of various genetic factors and other factors related to lifestyle and the surrounding environment. Despite the burden that AD represents for the patients suffering from it, their relatives and the society at large, no treatment has been shown to stop the progression of the disease to date.

Symptoms

Alzheimer's often starts manifesting itself as memory weakness, followed by progressive difficulty in completing daily tasks. It continues to progress at different rates for different individuals.

Mild Alzheimer’s disease

In this case, the individual often feels trouble in making sense of the world. It comes gradually at this stage. This phase of Alzheimer's can continue for several years, sometimes even decades. Problems can include:

• Memory loss
• Losing things, misplacing, or putting items in odd places
• Wandering and getting lost
• Mood and personality changes
• Losing interest in talking to others
• Taking longer to complete daily tasks
• Repeating questions
• Trouble handling money and paying bills
• Increased anxiety and/or aggression
• Loss of spontaneity and sense of initiative
• Poor judgment leading to bad decisions

Moderate Alzheimer’s disease

In this stage, the individual may feel difficulty performing simple tasks and expressing their thoughts. The person may become even more dependent on assistance with daily living activities. Symptoms can include:

• Increased memory loss and confusion
• Problems coping with new situations
• Inability to learn new things
• Difficulty organizing thoughts
• Shortened attention span
• Inappropriate outbursts of anger
• Difficulty carrying out multistep tasks
• Problems recognising family and friends
• Hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia
• Repetitive statements or movement
• Impulsive behavior
• Restlessness, agitation and anxiety

Severe Alzheimer’s disease

In this stage, the individual loses the ability to respond to their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to control movement. For them, communication becomes really difficult and they become dependent on others for their care. Symptoms often include:

• Reduced awareness of surroundings
• Requiring continuous supervision
• Decline in physical functioning
• Increased difficulty in speaking
• Higher vulnerability to infections such as pneumonia

Causes

Alzheimer’s disease is linked to complex changes that occur within the brain over time. One major factor involves the abnormal build-up of proteins known as amyloid and tau. These proteins can collect inside the brain and interfere with the normal communication process between brain cells.

As the disease progresses, some areas of the brain gradually shrink and the chemical messengers responsible for carrying signals between nerve cells begin to decline. This disruption affects memory, reasoning, behaviour, and other cognitive functions.

Over time, these changes can become severe enough to interfere with a person’s ability to perform routine daily activities independently. When these symptoms start interfering with everyday activities that were once simple to perform, the condition is referred to as dementia.

What are the early warning signs?

Although occassional forgetfulness can happen to anyone, especially with increasing age. However, persistent memory problems or confusion that interfere with everyday life should not be ignored. The evaluation of Alzheimer’s disease will depend on factors such as medical history, physical and neurological exams and cognitive tests and sometimes blood tests or brain imaging. 

When should you consult a doctor?

It is important to seek medical guidance if someone close to you is experiencing frequent forgetfulness, confusion, or difficulty thinking clearly. A doctor may review the symptoms, ask questions about daily functioning, and recommend certain tests to understand the possible cause. In some cases, the individual may be referred to a specialist such as a neurologist for a more detailed evaluation.

Book an Alzheimer’s Disease Screening Panel

Disclaimer: This information is intended for general awareness only and should not replace medical advise. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

Sources:

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers

https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/about/alzheimers.html