Doctor's Notes on Alzheimer's Disease Stages
Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia, which is impairment in memory and thinking severe enough to affect an individual's ability to function in daily life. The disease progresses at different rates in different people.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include
- mild and slowly worsening memory loss,
- difficulty recognizing familiar people or things,
- trouble remembering recent events or activities,
- inability to solve simple arithmetic problems,
- social withdrawal, and
- trouble performing complex tasks.
Symptoms of the middle (intermediate) stage of Alzheimer's disease include
- trouble with everyday activities,
- major gaps in memory, inability to think clearly and solve problems,
- inability to make judgments,
- difficulty learning new information,
- disorientation,
- confusion,
- anxiety,
- suspiciousness,
- hallucinations, and
- delusions.
Symptoms of late-stage Alzheimer's disease include
- complete loss of short- and long-term memory,
- inability to recognize close relatives and friends,
- dependence on others for everyday activities,
- urinary or stool incontinence,
- severe disorientation,
- personality changes such as hostility or aggressiveness,
- loss of mobility,
- impaired ability to communicate,
- difficulty swallowing, which can result in malnutrition,
- choking, and
- aspiration.
What is the treatment for Alzheimer’s disease?
Because each patient with Alzheimer’s disease is at a different stage and may or may not have all of the possible symptoms attributed to each stage, treatments are geared to the individual’s symptomatic relief. There is no known treatment to cure or stop the progress of Alzheimer’s disease; at best, symptoms can be slowed and/or reduced. Treatments are both medication and non-medication based and are frequently used at the same time. For this short introduction, only the general class of medications and non-medications will be presented:
- Medications
- Cholinesterase inhibitors -memory improvement
- Partial glutamate antagonists – better self-care
- Memantine – treats moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease symptoms
- Standard psychiatric drugs – to treat many symptoms like depression, agitation, anxiety, hallucinations, sleep disorders
- Non-medication
- Exercise
- Social interaction
- Group games
- Cognitive rehabilitation
Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease; over time, symptoms may progress and the patient will fail to respond to treatments and require assistance for care. Average progression to death (from other causes like pneumonia) is about 8 – 15 years. Caregivers should seek support and consult with the patient’s doctors on progressive changes and how to manage them.
Alzheimers Disease : Stages, Symptoms & Signs Quiz
QuestionOne of the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is __________________.
See AnswerMust Read Articles:
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Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease (AZ) is the most common cause of dementia in industrialized nations. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are sublte at the beginning, and over time symptoms such as: slow or worsening memory loss, trouble remembering events or activities, difficulty doing familiar tasks, and difficulties finding the right words for familiar things. -
Alzheimer's Disease Facts
Alzheimer's disease is a fatal brain disorder. Familial and sporadic are the two types of Alzheimer's disease. The three stages include early, intermediate, and late. Symptoms are dependant upon the stage of the disease, but include: memory loss, inability to think, inability to reason, inability to judge situations, inability communicate, anxiety, agitation, disorientation, paranoia, severe memory loss, loss of mobility, delusions, and hallucinations. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, medications can be administered to control symptoms. -
Alzheimer's Disease Medications
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in industrialized nations. Treatment for Alzheimer's disease include interventions focusing on behavior, and the medications cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA inhibitors, which have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. -
Alzheimer's Disease Support
Alzheimer's disease patients and caregivers are under emotional and physical stress most of the day and night. Information on how to manage the stresses of this disease for both the caregiver and patient is critical for the health of both individuals. -
Dementia (Loss of Memory)
Dementia is the loss of reasoning, memory, and other mental abilities. Dementia may be caused by irreversible causes such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's dementia, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. There are also treatable causes of dementia such as infections, head injury, normal hydrocephalus, and metabolic and hormonal disorders. Early symptoms of dementia include forgetting appointments and names, losing things, difficulties performing familiar tasks (driving, cooking, household chores), personality changes, mood swings, paranoia, and suspiciousness. There are 7 types of dementia. A variety of tests (blood tests, scans, assessment of family history) may be used to diagnose dementia. Treatment may include medication and behavioral therapy. -
Dementia Medication Overview
There is no good way to treat the progressive condition of dementia, but several different classes of medications can improve the symptoms and slow the patient's decline, especially if paired with diet and lifestyle changes. Drug classes include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, N-methyl-D-aspartate blockers, and experimental amyloid deposit inhibitors. Antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs can help with problematic behavioral changes. -
Lewy Bodies Dementia (LBD)
Dementia with Lewy bodies or Lewy body dementia is the name for a group in which dementia is caused by the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain. The cause is not known. Lewy body dementia symptoms include recent loss of memory, difficulty concentrating or paying attention, misperceptions of space and time, the inability to think or reason, abnormal movements of Parkinson's disease, depression, delusions, agitation, and unexplained fainting. Treatment for dementia with Lewy bodies is focused on lifestyle changes, care for the individual with dementia with Lewy bodies, and medication to manage symptoms. -
What Are the Stages of Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that causes a person to have difficulty thinking, reasoning, and recalling memories. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease and it has seven different stages, beginning with mild memory loss, leading to significant loss of the ability to speak, eat, and more.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.