Memories are the precious things that build up a person’s whole personality. They give one the perspective of life and help them solve problems from their previous experience. However, due to numerous reasons, a person’s memory can get affected, and they may gradually lose their memory. Medically, this phenomenon is called Alzheimer’s disease. It decreases the brain functionality of a person; as a result, it affects memory, thinking skills, and other mental abilities. Today, we are going to briefly discuss the causes, effects, and measures that should be taken to reduce the problems of a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Cause Behind Alzheimer’s Disease
The exact reasons for what a person develops dementia have yet not been identified. However, the researchers blame the abnormal building up of proteins in and around brain cells for this disease. Some of the physical factors are known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. They are:
- Increase of age: One of the most significant reasons for developing dementia is old age. With increasing age, our body parts weaken. They don’t function as effectively that they have been in our primes. Therefore, along with many other conditions, our brain becomes vulnerable and can develop dementia.
- Family History: There is a chance that a person will inherit dementia from his parents. The genes that one inherited from their parents may possess the marker of dementia, and with time, one can develop this problem due to the presence of this gene.
- Down’s syndrome: Down’s syndrome is yet another genetic condition that causes plaque to develop around the brain. As the brain gets clogged up, its function gets limited, and one can develop Alzheimer’s disease.
- Head trauma: Researchers have found out that people who suffered from head trauma are more likely to develop dementia. However, additional researches are needed to bring out the exact reasons.
- Cardiovascular disease: People with cardiovascular disease possess a severe risk of developing dementia. Some lifestyle factors are also associated with this disease. Some of those factors being:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Other factors: Some people can develop dementia as a side effect of other diseases. They may not be directly involved in developing dementia, but they can give the extra push that brings out the beast. Some of such conditions are:
- Hearing loss
- Untreated depression
- Social isolation
Signs and Symptoms
Alzheimer’s diseases often take years to develop to become the destructive condition as it is. It may start like a minor memory problem which can only grow bigger with time. One may forget recent conversations, names at first. With time, dementia progresses, and further symptoms start showing up. Some of such conditions being:
- Confusion, disorientation, and getting lost
- Difficulties in making decisions and planning
- Develop speech and language difficulties
- Problems with self-care tasks and unsupervised roaming around
- Changes in personality
- Delusions and hallucinations
- Develop anxiety or bad mood
Treatments
Although modern science has come a long way, there is no exact cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The doctors and researchers tend to treat the symptoms to make the patient comfortable and at ease. Some of such measures are:
Medications
A collection of medications are prescribed for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease to solve some symptoms temporarily. Some of these medications help to increase brain functions, and some help manage psychological and behavioral symptoms.
Therapies
Besides medications, therapy is equally important for patients with dementia. It helps them live well with their condition and even induces healing in some cases. Some of the well-known therapies are:
- Cognitive stimulation therapy: This therapy involves taking part in group activities. The whole therapy is designed to enhance problem-solving skills and memory improvement.
- Cognitive rehabilitation: This therapy pushes the working parts of one’s brain to help the other problematic parts of it. A trained professional or even a friend can help you receive this therapy. This therapy includes many simple everyday tasks to help one’s daily needs.
- Reminiscence and life story work: In this therapy, the person with dementia is exposed to his/her previous life work. It can be either by props like pictures, valuable possessions, music, or by one’s life story.
- Light therapy: Light therapy is one of the notable methods of treating dementia in modern days. With the help of light therapy, brain functions can restore significantly. Light induces healing and also helps to treat several symptoms of dementia. Mood swings, anxiety can be effectively treated with this therapy, which is pretty common in dementia patients. One simply needs to expose himself to the therapy lights to start this treatment and can receive benefits within a short period of time.
Alzheimer’s disease can severely shake one’s entire life as well as the lives of people around them. However, there are various means of support and help available for those who need them. Therefore, one shouldn’t be shy away from receiving treatment at the earliest possible moment to live a happy and healthy life.
Source: https://platinumtherapylights.com/blogs/news/red-light-therapy-alzheimers
