Alzheimer’s disease

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that progressively worsens as times goes by. It destroys memory and thinking skills, as well as the ability to perform simple task. There are a few specific proteins that involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. These proteins act by clumping together which leads to the plaques and tangles formation, acting like a roadblock and interfere with the signals to be transmitted from one part of the brain to another. Plaques and tangles usually begin in brain areas involved in memory, gradually spread to the other areas, and eventually much of the brain is affected.

 

The exact cause that leads to Alzheimer’s disease is still unknown, but there are a few risk factors that increase the likelihood to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease:

Age – Individuals who are 65 and older are at higher risk to have Alzheimer’s disease.

Family History – Those who have a parent, sister or brother with Alzheimer’s disease have higher risk to develop the disease.

 

There are three main stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which are early-stage, middle-stage and late-stage Alzheimer’s.

Early-stage Alzheimer’s

Individual with early stage Alzheimer’s still able to carry out daily activity independently. Despite this, the person may face some common difficulties such as coming up with the right word or name, misplacing and forgetting the location of object, as well as forgetting material that one just read.

 

Moderate-stage Alzheimer’s

This is the longest stage, and the person may forget about own personal history, unable to recall their address or telephone number, confusion about where they are or what day it is, and feeling moody. Besides that, the individual might become more dependent on caregiver for daily activities.

 

Late-stage Alzheimer’s

In this stage, the person will lose the ability to respond to the environment and major change in personality. The individual might have greater difficulty to walk, sit and eventually swallow, and totally dependent for daily activities.

Current evidence suggests that heart-healthy eating may also help protect the brain. Heart-healthy eating includes limiting the sugar intake and saturated fats, and eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Intake of omega-3 fats such as fish oil contains DHA may also help to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease. Food sources include cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, seaweed, and sardines. Regular exercise such as aerobic exercise may directly benefit brain cells and helps to prevent or slow down the disease progression.