In line with the RCY - SISC's ultimate goal to spread awareness with regards to various health-related conditions, illness, and news to individuals through the usage of social media platforms to restore a positive attitude towards all aspects of health and well-being, 3 groups from RCY have written short medical articles regarding the topics of following: Alzheimer’s Disease, Fire Prevention Month, and Endometriosis.
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that gradually deteriorates memory and cognitive abilities, as well as the capacity to do even the most basic tasks. The condition affects the majority of those who have it. Dr. Alois Alzheimer was the inspiration for the disease's name. Dr. Alzheimer discovered abnormalities in the brain tissue of a lady who died from an uncommon mental condition in 1906. He examined her brain after she died and saw several aberrant clusters and twisted bundles of fibers. These plaques and tangles in the brain are still thought to be major symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Another hallmark is the loss of nerve cell connections in the brain. Later, it affects parts of the cerebral cortex responsible for:
Language
Logic
Social interaction
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a condition that can be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, but not everyone with MCI will get the illness. This is the stage wherein cognitive decline between the typical cognitive loss of aging and the more significant decline of dementia. It is distinguished by difficulties with memory, language, reasoning, or judgment.
What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease?
Dementia refers to a range of symptoms that affect memory, but Alzheimer's is a particular degenerative brain disease that gradually impairs memory and cognitive function. The precise reason is unknown, and there is no treatment. Although younger people can and do get Alzheimer's, the symptoms usually appear after the age of 65.
What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
difficulty remembering recent events or conversations
apathy
depression
impaired judgment
disorientation
confusion
behavioral changes
difficulty speaking, swallowing, or walking in advanced stages of the disease
What are the main causes of Alzheimer’s Disease?
The abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells is assumed to be the origin of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid is one of the proteins involved, and deposits of it create plaques around brain cells. The other protein is tau, which forms tangles within brain cells as deposits. Although the actual cause of this process is unknown, scientists have discovered that it begins several years before symptoms show. Chemical messengers (called neurotransmitters) essential in delivering messages, or signals, between brain cells decrease when brain cells become impacted. In the brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease, levels of one neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, are extremely low. Different parts of the brain diminish throughout time. The parts responsible for memories are frequently the first to be damaged. Different parts of the brain are affected in more rare forms of Alzheimer's disease. Rather than memory impairments, the initial signs may be visual or language problems.
What are the increased risks?
Age
After the age of 65, your chances of having Alzheimer's disease double every 5 years. Alzheimer's disease affects people of all ages, not only the elderly. One in every twenty patients with the disease is under the age of 65. This is known as early-onset or young-onset Alzheimer's disease, and it can strike persons as young as 40 years old.
Family History
Although the actual increase in risk is tiny, the genes you receive from your parents can contribute to your risk of acquiring Alzheimer's disease. However, Alzheimer's disease is caused by the inheritance of a single gene in a few families, and the chances of the disease being handed on are significantly higher.
Down’s syndrome
Alzheimer's disease is more likely to affect those who have Down's syndrome. This is because the genetic abnormalities that produce Down's syndrome can cause amyloid plaques to build up in the brain over time, which in some people can lead to Alzheimer's disease.
Head Injuries
People who have suffered a serious head injury may be more sensitive to Alzheimer's disease, but more research is needed in this area.
Cardiovascular disease
Several lifestyle variables and disorders linked to cardiovascular illness have been shown to raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to research.
They include:
Smoking
Obesity
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Other Risk Factors
Recent evidence reveals that other factors play a role, albeit this does not imply that these factors are directly responsible for dementia.
They include:
Hearing loss
Untreated depression
Loneliness/social isolation
A sedentary lifestyle
References
Alzheimer's disease - Causes. (n.d.). NHS. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/causes/
Alzheimer's disease - Causes. (n.d.). NHS. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/causes/
Legg, T. J. (n.d.). What's the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease? Healthline. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/difference-dementia-alzheimers#alzheimers-overview
Mild cognitive impairment - Symptoms and causes. (2020, September 2). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mild-cognitive-impairment/symptoms-causes/syc-20354578
What Is Alzheimer's Disease? (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-alzheimers-disease
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