my aunt has white spots on her mri and was diagnosed with a disease without a cure. she also has memory loss
It helps to understand the difference between these different terms.
* Memory loss is a normal loss of brain cells that starts in our twenties, the slowing down of the production of the chemicals it takes for brain cells to work, and the changes in how the brain stores information.
* Dementia is the overall category of physical changes leading to memory loss, and it can include a variety of forms, including Alzheimer’s. It is caused by destruction of brain cells.
* Alzheimer’s is one specific type of dementia.
Memory Loss
Loss of memory is a normal function of aging, and occurs in a widely varying degree in each of us. There are quite a few ways to help yourself when you start noticing a little normal loss of memory. Some of them are:
* Make a list of anything and everything you need to do, buy, watch… remember.
* Establish routines using a different part of the brain. This helps job the memory
* Making associations is a great way to help you remember
* Keep a calendar, and write in as many details as you can fit in the space
* Put your keys, purse, wallet, and other important items, in the same place every time
* A favorite trick for remembering names is repeating the alphabet in your mind. Sometimes just that one starting letter is enough to job your memory.
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia today. Like many forms of dementia, it comes on slowly, affecting the very short term memory first. Memories of the distant past can be clear as a bell, but someone’s name or an event from yesterday is lost almost immediately.
It is caused by abnormal protein deposits in the brain, which destroy cells of the brain responsible for memory and mental functions. Contributing to the progression of the disease are lower levels of essential chemicals in the brain that control important brain functions. Sadly, Alzheimer’s is not reversible, and there is currently no cure.
Dementia
Dementia is a category of diseases that impair memory to the point where processing information and the ability to function normally are impaired.
It’s important for everyone’s piece of mind to be able to differentiate between normal memory loss and more severe and progressive memory problems like Alzheimer’s. Red flags that may warn you that a serious memory problem is developing are:
* Personality changes
* Forgetting how to do things you’ve done many, many times before
* Difficulty with problem solving
* Losing track of daily events
* Forgetting everyday things much more than usual
* Problems communicating
* Difficulty with everyday tasks, like handling money
* Difficulty learning how to do something new
* Telling the same stories over and over, perhaps in the same conversation
* Not remembering the date, the month, the current President
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By: Sheila Moody
About the Author:
When a person suffers from Alzheimers, then what is the extent of the memory loss. My basic question is will he even forget things like “swimming” and “cycling”, which people used to say a person never forgets.
I am worried about my Grandfather. His brother, father and grandfather all have/had Alzheimers.
How do you tell the difference between Alzheimers and memory loss due to ageing?
If you do notice the signs early, can something be done?
Thanks a lot
Everyone sometimes forgets something; whether it is where they left their car keys or the reason they walked into a room. When things like this happen, people often joke and say that they had a “senior” moment or even worse – Alzheimer’s. There is one thing that Alzheimer’s disease is not – a joke. Alzheimer’s strikes the elderly predominantly. An age is hard to pin down, but typically, the majority of sufferers are over the age of sixty-five. No one really knows why Alzheimer’s disease exists or why symptoms start showing when we get older.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most known form of dementia. This disease attacks the brain function, namely memory. It affects learning, reasoning skills and the ability to make common sense decisions. Alzheimer’s eventually robs patients of their independence. A simple walk to the corner grocery can turn into a scary ordeal as they lose their way on a path they had taken for years. They forget to eat or bathe. They might mix their grandchildren up with their children. Symptoms start gradually and slowly escalate. More advanced stages of the disease can cause changes such as apprehension, anxiety and delusional behaviors.
Alzheimer’s patients can live for years. Thanks to the wonders of modern science, they can be healthy in every other way and linger for years with brain function steadily decreasing as time goes on. Each Alzheimer’s sufferer is different. Some can live for over twenty years after their diagnosis, while some only a few years. Of course, this is entirely subjective as it greatly depends on when the person got tested for Alzheimer’s disease.
Years of research has been conducted to determine the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Although a cure may not happen for several lifetimes, scientists are at least beginning to understand a little about it. Age, of course, is the most common factor of all sufferers. And secondly, genetic history is also a culprit in contributing to Alzheimer’s. However, age and genetics alone cannot account for the scores of people who have it. Some scientists are studying how our environment and diet could possibly be playing a role. In addition, scientists believe that many people, more than we think, may carry an Alzheimer’s “gene.” They believe that how that gene reacts to other genes could be the key to solving the mystery of why this disease exists.
Treatment of Alzheimer’s is a multi-pronged attack. There are some drugs available that might slow down the disease somewhat. Some doctors decide to treat the symptoms of the disease like sleep aids for insomnia or anti-depressants for depression and restlessness. Some researchers believe that various vitamin and herbal remedies can help as well. Antioxidants like vitamins C and E have been shown to slow down the disease’s progress in some patients. The same applies to ginkgo biloba, long touted as a cognitive enhancer. Estrogen supplements used for menopausal symptoms have also shown some effectiveness in reducing some risk of acquiring the disease as well as slowing it down.
Not much is known about Alzheimer’s disease, but strides in medical science are being made every day. The only thing we can do is take care of our loved ones stricken with the disease and hope that at some point in our lifetime, a cure will be found.
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