(STILLWATER)---May is Older Americans Month and this article
discusses a common health problem of older Americans called Alzheimer's disease, characterized by memory loss. Everyone
has occasional lapses in memory and it is normal to forget the names of people
whom you rarely see. It is however not a normal part of aging to forget the
names of familiar people and objects.
What
is Alzheimer's disease? It is a progressive degenerative brain
disease that causes more than simple forgetfulness. It may start with slight 
memory loss and confusion and eventually lead to
irreversible mental impairment that destroys a person's ability to remember,
reason, learn and imagine. The causes of Alzheimer's are poorly understood, but
it is known to damage and kills brain cells common signs and symptoms of
Alzheimer's disease may include:
1. Increasing and persistent forgetfulness. At onset, Alzheimer's disease is marked by periods of
forgetfulness, especially of recent events or simple directions. What begins as
mild forgetfulness persists and worsens. People with Alzheimer's may repeat
things and forget conversations or appointments. They routinely misplace
things, often putting them in illogical locations. They frequently forget
names, and eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects.
2.
Difficulties with abstract thinking.
People with Alzheimer's may initially have trouble balancing their checkbook, a
problem that progresses to trouble recognizing and dealing with numbers.
3.
Difficulty finding the right word.
It may be a challenge for those with Alzheimer's to find the right words to
express thoughts or even follow conversations. Eventually, reading and writing
also are affected.
4.
Disorientation. People with
Alzheimer's often lose their sense of time and dates, and may find themselves
lost in familiar surroundings.
5.
Loss of judgment. Solving
everyday problems, such as knowing what to do if food on the stove is burning,
becomes increasingly difficult, eventually impossible. Alzheimer's is
characterized by greater difficulty in doing things that require planning, decision-making
and judgment.
6.
Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
Once-routine tasks that require sequential steps, such as cooking, become a
struggle as the disease progresses. Eventually, people with advanced
Alzheimer's may forget how to do even the most basic things.
7.
Personality changes. People
with Alzheimer's may exhibit mood swings. They may express distrust in others,
show increased stubbornness and withdraw socially. Early in the disease process,
this may be a response to the frustration they feel as they notice
uncontrollable changes in their memory. Depression often coexists with
Alzheimer's disease. Restlessness is also a common sign. As the disease
Alzheimer's Disease (continued)
progresses,
people with Alzheimer's may become anxious or aggressive and behave
inappropriately.
How soon can Alzheimer's disease be diagnosed? Symptoms usually progress slowly and so diagnosis is
often delayed. People developing the condition may be frighteningly aware of
their problems, but careful to keep them hidden and refuse to see a health care
provider. As a result, even their families may fail to see what's going on.
When the signs and symptoms become too obvious to miss, those closest to the
person often realize that similar but less severe difficulties have been
present for years.
The stages of the disease's course varies from person to person and eight years
is the average length of time from diagnosis of Alzheimer's to death. Survival
begins to decline three years after diagnosis, but some people live more than a
decade with the disease.
Prepared by: Youmasu Siewe
Health Specialist
301 HES, Oklahoma StateUniversity
Cooperative
Extension Service –FCS
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078-6141
(405) 744-9929 or 744-6824