Memory lapse is a typical instance for human beings. From occurrences of failing to recall a friend’s name to misplacing your house keys or forgetting to buy grocery shopping, they are inevitable. The situation, however, seems to worsen as one continues to age. Unfortunately, this sometimes makes it hard to make a distinction between forgetfulness and Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the common causes of dementia. It is a neurodegenerative disease that involves an assortment of destructive proteins inside the brain’s nerve cell. About 6.2 million Americans aged 65 and above have Alzheimer’s disease in 2021, with about seventy-two percent being over 75 years. Women seem to be primarily affected since they account for two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease in America. Some great news is that institutions such as Optina Diagnostics have been on their toes searching for a technology that will change the Alzheimer’s disease narrative.
What are the Stages of Alzheimer’s disease?
1. Pre-clinical Stage
The pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease stage is the period before symptoms begin to show. This stage may last between 10 to 15 years, the unfortunate situation being, no medication can be administered during this time. As Alzheimer’s disease risk is more prevalent as one age, it’s important to go for screens regularly for early diagnosis of the disease.
2. Basic Forgetfulness
While this is the first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, at times, it’s confused with regular forgetting. Forgetting may seem normal at first, but subsequent memory lapses are a red flag that shouldn’t be overlooked. Early diagnosis will help you receive early treatment to slow the disease advancement.
3. Memory Difficulties
This stage brings about obvious changes in the Alzheimer’s disease patient’s life. It gets challenging for the affected individual to perform daily activities normally. While they may still remember key things in their life, they may start losing track of day-to-day happenings. Confusion about what day it is and changed sleep patterns are the most common challenges in this stage.
4. Less independence
The situation gets intense at this stage, where an Alzheimer’s disease patient needs regular support. At this point, they may fail to remember people close to them, such as friends and family. It becomes harder to perform tasks such as dressing up and struggle with learning new things. The main challenges during this phase are emotional-related problems such as hallucinations and the feeling that people are against you (paranoia).
5. Intense Symptoms
In this stage comes total dependence by the Alzheimer’s disease patient. They cannot manage themselves and always need assistance at this point. Communication becomes more complex such as communicating through their thoughts. A patient has increased anxiety, delusions, and paranoia. At this stage, there may lack consciousness of what they’re doing.
6. Lack of Physical Control
This being the last stage, things are more intense compared to other stages. For instance, they will need 24/7 care in matters of walking, swallowing, and sitting. Already their brain cells are ruined, causing the patient’s physical and mental impairment. So at this stage, they need a caregiver’s help more than ever. Let the patient remain clean at all times to reduce the risk of getting infections.
Bottom Line
Knowing the stages of Alzheimer’s disease helps you become conscious of every stage the person is undergoing. This way, it’s easier to ask your doctor about the treatment needed. You might as well consider visiting facilities such as Optina diagnostics to identify the type of management treatment needed. Although Alzheimer’s disease changes how your body operates, that doesn’t mean it’s a death sentence. Going for early diagnosis is vital in preventing any progression but also make the situation more manageable.
