Alzheimers is an ailment that has particularly affected the lives of old people. It has been found worldwide that 10% of the 80 year olds and 25% of 90 year olds have Alzheimers at some stage. Forgetfulness is a common aging problem but when it is more severe and is accompanied with the person getting confused in well-known places, it could be Alzheimer’s, a progressive degenerative diseases where parts of the brain (nerve cells) die as the person ages.
World Alzheimer’s Day: Spreading Awareness
Age is the biggest risk factor of the disease. It is commonly found in people above the age of 65 years. This World Alzheimer’s Day, which falls on September 21, gain knowledge about the early signs and symptoms of the disease. Early diagnosis can help in proper care giving and paves the way for drug therapy which can slow the progression of the disease.
Memory Loss that Disrupts Daily Life
Forgetting recently learned information, losing track of which day it is, forgetting names and important dates or events and relying on close family members or electronic aides to remember things is one of the most early and common signs of the disease. What’s typical of Alzheimer’s is to forget certain information such as names, only to remember it later.
Trouble Planning and Problem Solving
People may face difficulty in following a plan of work especially the one that involves numbers. They may have problem in following instruction even though they might have followed the process or done it numerous times before.
Unable to Complete Daily Tasks
Daily task such as driving to work or remembering the rules of a game become difficult.
Time and Places are Confusing
Patients lose complete track of time, places and seasons. They may be unable to keep up with something that hasn’t happened recently.
Changes in Vision and Spatial Relationships
People with Alzheimer’s might have trouble reading, judging distance, and determining colour or contrast. They also might look in the mirror and not recognize their own reflection.
Other symptoms include difficulty in speaking, misplacing things, poor judgment, social withdrawal and mood swings. The World Alzheimer’s Day is a great opportunity to make yourself aware and also to spread awareness about the disease so that you can help your loved one as soon as possible. Although there is no existent cure for Alzheimer’s but stem cell therapy is being researched as a possible cure. Stem cell therapy uses stem cells to repair or regenerate cells in the body. It is known to treat more than 80 diseases.