Alzheimer's is a progressive disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate and die.  Memory loss is one of the most common symptoms; another is the inability to organize thoughts.  Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, which is a progressive decline in thinking and disrupts, behavioral and social skills, so much that it impacts a person's ability to function independently.

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The early signs of Alzheimer’s is forgetting recent events or conversations. As it progresses, a person with Alzheimer's will develop severe memory impairment and can forget people and places.  There is currently medication that might temporarily improve symptoms or slow the rate of decline in memory loss. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment that cures Alzheimer's. In advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, it can result in severe loss of brain function such as: dehydration, malnutrition or infection that can eventually result in death.
 

Other symptoms of Alzheimer's are:

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• Repeats the same statements and questions over and over again

• Forget conversations, appointments or events, and not remember them later

• Routinely misplace things

• Get lost in familiar places

• Eventually forget the names of family members and objects

• Have trouble finding the right words to identify objects, express thoughts or take part in conversations

• Inability to recognize and deal with numbers.

• Changes in personality and behavior like (depression, mood swings, social withdrawal, distrust, apathy, irritability, changes in sleep patterns, wandering, delusions)

• Delusions, such as believing something has been stolen that was not stolen.
   

If you are concerned about your memory or that of a family member or friend, it is important to speak with your doctor and get an assessment.  A physical, blood test, neurological exam and imaging (MRI, CAT SCAN, PET) testing can help to determine if the disease exist.  Although, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are some herbs (Ginkgo biloba extract, Huperzine extract, Ginseng, Salvia Officinalis)  that are said to combat Alzheimer’s and they can be found via this linked website: https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/alzrt54  or herb store.

 

Before taking any type of herbs or medication, it is important to consult with your physician.

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For more information on Alzheimer’s, support groups and research visit: https://alzfdn.org/

 

By Dietra Myers

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