Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects behaviour, thinking, and memory. This disease is caused by changes in the brain, commonly known as tangles and plaques. Early Alzheimer’s starts before one reaches sixty-five years, but it might also appear at an early stage.
Alzheimer’s is the most popular type of dementia that causes mental problems at advanced stages. Alzheimer’s condition is not preventable. But you can use different methods to manage its symptoms. Over seven million adults have this condition in the US, and below we discuss where to get the best alzheimer care spokane.
Alzheimer Causes
The exact cause of this disease is not understood fully, but at a standard level, the brain proteins stop functioning normally. This disrupts the neuron’s function, thus triggering a series of events. These neurons become damaged eventually and have weak connections with each other.
Researchers believe Alzheimer’s is caused by a blend of lifestyle and genetic factors for most people, which further affects the brain with time. This disease develops a few years before the initial symptoms, and the damage starts in the brain.
Scientists trying to acknowledge the cause of this disease mainly focus on the following protein’s roles;
- Plaques – these fragments harm the neurons when they clump together, thus disrupting communication in the brain cells. This further affects communication in the brain cells.
- Tangles-tau proteins are crucial in the brain cell’s transport system and internal support. These proteins change shape in Alzheimer’s patients, turning to neurofibrillary tangles that damage cells, and affect the transport system.
Alzheimer Risk Factors
The following factors increase your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
Age
Old age is the main factor that causes Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study has shown five new diagnoses per a thousand people aged 60-75. The chances of contracting these diseases are higher if a first-degree relative has it.
Down Syndrome
Most people with Down syndrome experience Alzheimer’s disease. This is mainly linked to having three chromosomes with 21 copies. Chromosome 21 is a gene that produces a protein responsible for beta-amyloid production.
Beta-amyloid fragments cause brain plagues, and the symptoms show ten or ten years earlier in people with Down syndrome.
Mild Cognitive Impairment
People with mild cognitive impairment experience a memory decline and lose critical thinking skills that are more than normal for their age. However, the memory decline does not limit them from functioning in work or social environments.
People with the MCI condition have a high risk of acquiring dementia; this condition affects memory, but it is more likely to convert into dementia because of Alzheimer’s disease.
Head Trauma
Several studies have shown that people aged fifty or above have an increased risk of getting dementia, especially if they have a traumatic brain injury.
Final Thoughts
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that mainly affects people in the old age bracket. This disease is not preventable, but the above article has discussed its risk factors and how to manage it.
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