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Alzheimer's Patients Go through Different Stages of Memory Loss
from: Pat MoauroPerhaps you've walked into a room many times and forgot what you came in to get. Or, perhaps you've set your keys down for a moment and you just can't find them. You could have sworn that you set them down there, right in plain sight, and yet they seem to have vanished into thin air.
It's easy to become frustrated and angry until you want to scream (not to mention making you late). At other times, such an experience can be almost frightening and confusing, making you feel as if you're acting stupid or, worse yet, losing your mind.
In most cases, we think nothing of these common mental slips. At times, the brain doesn't seem to want to engage when you ask a question like, "What are six times three?" Although this naturally happens throughout life, we also attribute it to old age. As time goes by, you tend to get a bit more forgetful. "Seniors tend to be somewhat absent-minded," some might say and, for the most part, it's true. Most people with brief lapses in memory or thought aren't suffering from Alzheimer's disease. But, for a select few, these very subtle signals can be just the tip of the iceberg.
Alzheimer's disease can be much like a cat stalking a mouse. At first, its approach is barely noticeable and easily overlooked; victims suffer minor memory lapses, forgetting details of recent events, twisting things around or, sometimes forgetting names, faces, or directions. Math and spelling may cause the occasional pause but, generally, these 'spells' are short-lived in those in the first stages of Alzheimer's.
Making things even more difficult is the fact that Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have no specific test to reveal their presence. To date, the only way a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be 100% certain is for an autopsy to be performed on the patient, after she or he has passed away. A doctor may suspect or speculate that the diagnosis is Alzheimer's disease, but he can never be 100% certain. No test is available to date that will diagnose this condition.
As the condition progresses the patient becomes more confused and her or his forgetfulness now begins to interfere with her or his daily activities and routines. The person in the second stages of Alzheimer's disease may forget to brush his teeth or leave the house without brushing his hair. Sometimes, the forgetfulness can be more drastic, such as the person walking out of the house without clothing or heading out into the snow in their bare feet.
Often at this stage the patient will begin to lose substantial memories, such as not recognizing loved ones. When you suddenly find yourself in strange surroundings, it can be frightening for a "stranger" to come up to you and insist that they are your son or daughter and they want to touch you. At this stage of the dementia, Alzheimer's patients tend to become anxious or aggressive and, if left unattended, often wander away from where they're supposed to be.
Sadly, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, nor is there any way of reversing its effects on those who have it. The condition is believed to stem from a disruption in the nerve cells and chemical transmitters in the brain. The condition will continue until the patient loses the memories of friends and family, as well as memories of learning how to talk, walk, and use the restroom, and so on. Eventually, their only option is full time, and total, care.
In the final stages of Alzheimer's disease, the patient has usually lost her or his ability to communicate; and has forgotten simple things that we take for granted, such as swallowing or breathing. People with Alzheimer's disease have been known to live for 20 years after being diagnosed; however the average amount of remaining time is usually about eight years. Watching a loved one slip away over several years can be devastating to a family and loved ones.
The fourth most common cause of death amongst our elderly, Alzheimer's is a serious condition and researchers continue to study it, in hopes of finding ways to beat it.
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