Are you struggling with poor memory? Difficulty learning new information? Well, it could be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Yes, it’s a neurological disorder in which death of brain cells cause memory loss and cognitive decline. Moreover, it is the most common cause of dementia. So, now you might be thinking what causes Alzheimer’s disease? What are the early symptoms you may experience? Right? Let’s explore more about the Alzheimer’s and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease?
Well, researchers believe that it is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. It is just that its effect on the brain that’s it, exact causes of Alzheimer’s aren’t yet fully understood.
What exactly does Alzheimer’s disease do to your brain?
It damages and kills brain cells. A brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease has many fewer cells and connections among surviving cells as compared to healthy brain. As more and more brain cells die Alzheimer’s leads to brain shrinkage. Moreover, researchers found two types of abnormalities can be considered as the characteristic of the disease includes:
- Plaques: These clumps of protein called beta- amyloid may damage and destroy brain cells in many ways including interfering with cell-to-cell communication and contribute to degeneration of brain cells, leading to memory loss and cognitive decline.
- Tangles: They are the twisted fibers of tau protein that build up inside the nerve cells. These tangles disrupt the normal functioning of the cells and leads to cell death.
Are there any early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease?
Generally, the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are divided into three main stages:
Early-stage symptoms: In the early stage, the main symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is memory lapses. For example, individuals may forget about recent conversation or events, forget the name of places and objects, have difficulty in thinking of the right word, ask questions repetitively and be more hesitant to try new things.
Middle-stage symptoms: As Alzheimer’s disease increases, memory problems will get worse. Moreover, other symptoms may also develop such as increasing confusion and disorientation. For example, getting lost, obsessive, repetitive and impulsive behavior, delusions (believing things that are untrue), problems with language also known as aphasia, disturbed sleep, and frequent mood changes.
Later symptoms: In the later stages, condition may become more severe for the individual. For example, difficult eating and swallowing (dysphagia), difficulty changing position, weight loss, unintentional passing of urine or stools, gradual loss of speech, and problems with short- and long-term memory.
How to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
Follow a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables
- Do regular physical exercise
- Stay mentally and socially active
- Don’t overthink
- Getting quality sleep
- Stay socially connected
- Manage chronic conditions like diabetes and blood pressure
Conclusion
To conclude, Alzheimer’s disease kills and damages the brain cells which may lead to memory loss and cognitive decline. Moreover, there is no exact cause of this disease. However, lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors may affect the brain over time. So, to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s individuals must maintain a healthy lifestyle such as eating a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, staying mentally and socially connected and much more.
