Do you think about your mental sharpness has gone down? When you age, mind forgetfulness is normal, and if you have trouble remembering someone’s name, but it comes to you later, it may not be a severe memory problem. However, if the memory problems are seriously affecting your day to day life, it may be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. The number of symptoms you have and their strength varies, but it is crucial to identify the early signs before you see the best neurologist in Delhi:

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

It is a form of ‘dementia.’  It is a term for the medical conditions that are caused by the injuries or the term of the disease that negatively affects the memory, thinking, and behavior. These changes interfere with daily living.  

In 60 to 70 percent of the dementia cases, most people with the disease get a diagnosis only after the age of 65.  Alzheimer’s can’t be cured permanently, but you can get treatment, which can slow the progression of the disease.

What Are the Main Causes of Disease and the Risk Factors?

Experts say that there is no single cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but they have identified certain risk factors:

• Most people who have developed this disease are 65 years of age or older.
• If you have an immediate family member who has developed the condition, then it is more likely that you will get it as well.
• Then specific genes have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

If you exhibit these risk factors, it means that you will have to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and it will merely raise the risk level.  

Key Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

If you have exhibited forgetfulness occasionally, it is normal. But people with Alzheimer’s disease display some behavioral issues. They face continued memory loss that affects daily activities. Then there are troubles with everyday tasks and have severe difficulties in solving the problems. They may have difficulty with speech and writing. They also become disoriented about the times or the places.

7-Stages of Alzheimer

1. In the first stage, there are no symptoms at this stage, but there may be challenged based on family history.
2. Then there are symptoms of forgetfulness.
3. Mild physical and mental impairments like reduced memory and concentration and can barely be noticed.
4. Alzheimer is diagnosed at this stage, but it is mild, and the inability to perform everyday tasks is evident.
5. Moderate symptoms are there, and you will need help from the caregivers.
6. In this stage, the person with Alzheimer’s needs helps with basic tasks like eating and putting on clothes.
7. It is the most severe and the final stage of Alzheimer in which there may be loss of speech and facial expression.

Diagnosis and Tests

Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed definitively by examining the brain tissue after death. But the doctor can use other examinations and tests to assess the mental abilities, diagnose dementia. These may be mental, physical, neurological, and also the imaging tests. Then the doctor may also recommend some critical tests to include:

• MRI - It can help in identifying issues like inflammation, bleeding, and structural issues.
• CT Scans - They are like X-ray images and help the doctor look to find any abnormality in the brain.
• PET Scans – These images can help your doctor detect the plaque build up.

Medication

The doctor will recommend medications and other treatments to help ease the symptoms and delay the progression of the disease. Popular remedies for the medical condition include Exelon, Namenda, and Aricept.

Have Doubts? Get Diagnosed Now!

In case of the slightest doubt, you should see the best neurologist in Delhi. Get yourself checked immediately as timely prevention is better than cure.