Signs, Symptoms and Possible Remedies of Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer is a type of dementia; probably, its the most common variety. It is a progressive disease that affects the brain and gradually eliminates one's thinking capacity by destroying memory. After a certain stage, the sufferer finds difficulty to carry out simplest tasks. More than 5.1 million people in America are suffering from this disease and the number is rising rapidly.

This is high time that people learn more about it and take possible precautionary actions to keep this disease at bay. Here you will find information about some vital signs and symptoms of the disease.

Every person does not face the same course of Alzheimer's. However, the symptoms start to develop from a few general stages. According to scientists, there are three stages that this disease follows, which are:

Early stage - This is preclinical stage where no symptom is noticed
MCI - Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is the middle stage
Alzheimer's dementia is the final stage

Doctors cannot certainly identify which patient in the MCI stage would progress into Alzheimer, but that does not mean that one should wait and take chances. It becomes important to read the signs and take action at an early time.

Very Early Signs

Among the very early signs of Alzheimer is a problem with memory and thinking capabilities. They struggle to find the right words to describe something and often make poor judgment.

Symptoms During the Mild State

During the mild stage, the progressive disease worsens memory and bring changes in different cognitive abilities. Some signs during this stage are:

Difficulty to handle money
Taking longer to complete regular usual tasks
Getting lost
Repeating queries
Wrong judgments
Misplacing or losing things
Mood changes

Symptoms During Moderate State

The brain gets more affected at this stage and the effect reflects in sensory processing, language control, reasoning and consciousness. Some signs in this stage are:

Confusion increases
Loss of memory increases
Struggles to identify known people
Learning new things gets difficult
Impulsive behavior
Struggles to carry new tasks

Symptoms During Severe State

This is the ultimate and most difficult stage for the sufferers. They completely become dependent and mostly spend time on bed. Their body shuts down and they stop communicating completely.

Cannot communicate
Seizers
Loss of weight
Swallowing difficulty
Skin infections
Lack of bowel and bladder control
Increased sleeping

How to Cope with Alzheimer's

The diagnosis of the disease means making big adjustments for the sufferer, but also for his/her loved ones. Till now, there is no cure for the disease, but some treatments for the symptoms are available. However, these treatments cannot stop the disease from progressing, but can certainly delay severe symptoms, if diagnosed early enough. If your loved one is showing the symptoms, then

Show patience
Be caring and shower love
Reach out for support
Spend more time with the sufferer
Keep him/her involved in household activities
Make him/her feel important
Avoiding cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, etc.
Providing Mediterranean diet such as wheat, cereals, fish, olive oil, bread, fruits and vegetables