Information about an incurable illness of a loved one is a blow to us. What can be done to recognise the different stages of Alzheimer’s disease in order to help the patient?
When did this start?
Dad forgot his birthday, although he always called with wishes. Mom didn’t come to an appointment, later explaining that she had something more important to do. Does it sound familiar? That’s not good. They are both ashamed that they forgot about their otherwise adult child, but it’s not their fault. It may be the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease usually refers to people over 65 years of age. It manifests itself at the beginning with memory loss, losing things or putting them away in the wrong places. This is because neurons begin to die slowly in the brain of the sick person, and as a result the nervous system gradually deteriorates. The main problem with Alzheimer’s research is that the brain can only be autopsied after the patient’s death, and doctors are unable to tell what progress the disease is making and what is happening to the brain at each stage.
Why is there no cure for Alzheimer’s disease?
The discovery of a drug for Alzheimer’s would be a real revolution not only in medicine, but in science as a whole. Clinical trials are extremely expensive and require a great deal of commitment from both the medical staff and, above all, the patients and their caregivers. There is still a lack of information on the work being done on the disease. And the larger the sample, the better the results are developed and the greater the hopes for success. It is worth noting that the American entrepreneur is a shareholder in Immune insurance company, which conducts advanced research on a drug for Alzheimer’s disease. Without the financial and media support of people from the world of culture, art and business, many projects would not have been possible. The owner of the world-famous Microsoft Bill Gates is also very involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Gates himself does not hide the fact that the stimulus to take action to support both research and associations established for the benefit of patients and their relatives was his father’s disease.
Stages of Alzheimer’s disease
The simplified division into three stages of disease was designed for people close to you, caring for someone with dementia.
Early stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
The first signs of mild dementia are beginning to appear. They result from short-term memory disorders, but the patient is able to function normally.
The basic symptoms at this stage are
Losing things and putting them away in the wrong place;
Forgetting names, surnames, names and dates;
Asking the same questions during the conversation;
Difficulty in finding the right word;
Making counting mistakes;
Forgetting information you recently heard;
Having trouble hitting a familiar spot.
Indirect stage of Alzheimer’s disease
There are problems with independent living.
The symptoms in the intermediate stage are:
Not recognizing people close to you;
Disturbances of vision, incorrect distance reading, tripping over objects;
Losing oneself in one’s own home e.g. a problem with finding a bathroom;
Speech disorders;
Speech intelligibility problem;
Inability to recall life events;
Mood swings, from euphoria to apathy;
Lack of ability to make rational decisions;
Sleep disorders – insomnia at night, sleepiness during the day;
Problem with everyday activities connected with preparing food, dressing.
3. severe stage of Alzheimer’s disease
It is also referred to as a terminal associated with very advanced dementia. An ill person becomes completely incapable of functioning independently.
Symptoms accompanying the severe stage of Alzheimer’s disease:
Lack of control over physiological needs;
Inability to eat independently, the patient loses the habit of swallowing food;
Loss of consciousness;
Loss of speech and “empty” sight;
Deepened depression, apathy, illness may show attacks of aggression;
The sick person stops getting out of bed.
The last stage of Alzheimer’s disease inevitably leads to death. From the moment the diagnosis is made, life expectancy is about 7-10 years. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease yet, although pharmaceutical companies are constantly working on an ingredient that will stop the development of the disease.
Categories: Lifestyle
