Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a form of senile diseases (dementia) most commonly experienced by people aged 65 years and above. This is not part of the normal aging process, but the disease that causes progressive loss of brain nerve cells. Since nerve cells are important for normal thinking, memory and brain function, those suffering from Alzheimer's disease impaired brain function that interfere with their normal daily activities.

Gradually, Alzheimer's patients lose their ability to perform basic daily activities such as brushing teeth, dressing, bathing and other. In the end, their ability to walk and talk can also be affected or lost altogether.

Disease known as 'The Long Goodbye', the disease usually cover a period of more than 10 to 20 years. Despite intensive research conducted in recent years, Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood and there is no known cure, thus early detection and treatment is the only option to manage the disease effectively.

Memory affects

Matter of much concern is that compliance with medication for memory loss of Alzheimer's disease a person. Patients may forget to take medications or forget that they were taking doses.

Feedback from caregivers indicate that often times, patients are reluctant to take medication as I feel they do not suffer from any disease.

Alzheimer's Dementia is a common disease for the elderly. Asia-Pacific According to statistics, people with this disease has reached 18 million people. More than 60,000 people in Malaysia is suffering from Alzheimer's. Expected by 2020, this figure will double to 120,000 people.

To sacrifice time and energy to take care of the elderly suffering from Alzheimer's disease or senile not an easy task. Alzheimer's is a health problem that requires attention from the patient's family.

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, which is synonymous with this elderly, increase with increasing age.

Risks and Symptoms

Once people reach 20 years, the death of cells in the brain began to occur and cause the brain to shrink. Destruction of brain cells continuously causing reduced quality of memory.

Individuals who are at risk for this disease is a person who is suffering from hypertension when he reaches the age of 40 years and above, people with diabetes, lack of exercise, high cholesterol and hereditary factors that have family members suffering from this disease at the age range of the 50's.

The earliest symptoms of dementia is to be forgetful, especially about important things done each day. They need to be taken to a doctor for a check to confirm it.

Dementia refers to a group of symptoms associated with memory loss, occurs slowly without being noticed, but eventually could worsen.

As a result, difficult to remember a person and affect his ability to think clearly as to interfere with normal activities and routines such as eating and hygiene management.

In addition to deterioration of thinking, the patient had experienced changes in personality and behavior and their feelings.

Among other symptoms of dementia is often forgotten things done, quickly tired, it is difficult to distinguish time, place and people, lost their logic, forgetful, not be able perform daily activities and prepare yourself, not concentrating, difficulty remembering words when speaking and difficult naming objects.

In addition, Alzheimer's patients are often depressed, nonsense, impatient, hard to distinguish the times and the worst is that they fail to control when small or large bowel, they can not think, speak and move but there are also people with Alzheimer's lose timidity and talk about it that could embarrass your family or naked in public places.

Early Diagnosis

If the patient is receiving treatment at an early stage, it is thus able to reduce the problem of family burden of care.

Detect early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is an advantage. The doctor can provide guidance on the early signs of dementia. If patients really diagnosed with Alzheimer's, patients' families have more time to make plans for the future. Treatment can be done earlier and more effective.

When the diagnosis is carried out, doctors need patient information from family and friends, physical examination and neurological and laboratory tests. In addition, the doctor will do tests neuropsikologikal while doing a scan images using CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He said the PET scan is a major step for more information.

History

Recounting the history of Alzheimer's disease, was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1907, called Alzheimer's, in conjunction with his name. Dementia can be divided into two, the first reversible dementia (reversable) which can be controlled and the two did not turn the remains. As a result of post-mortem of a woman, Dr. Alzheimer's found the woman's brain is not only shrinking but, filled with extraordinary mass of protein called amyloid plaques and intertwining fibers (neuro-fibrillary).

Guidelines for The Guardian

Here is a guide for families who want to deal with their family members suffering from Alzheimer's disease:

* Always jokes with them as a senile old folks tend to keep their social skills.

* As a young person, create a positive mood when talking to them. Do interact with them with a gentle and polite language as a mark of respect.

* Remember the wonderful times they lived together for most of the senile patients do not remember what had occurred within 45 minutes.

* When talking to them, create a tranquil atmosphere. Avoid noise, such as mobile phones and radio. Introduce yourself and explain your relationship with him as he touched hands and shoulders.

* Talk to them using language and simple sentences. We need to understand that this group was rather touchy. So, you do not need to raise their voices. Language is enough to clear the low tone.

* Dementia Patients often forget, so you need patience to wait for their reply every time.

* Create a happy atmosphere to chat while talking things funny. If they are in a sad mood, try to change the environment and story topics.