Signs Of Alzheimer's

"What to look for?"

Hey folks,

Back on Sunday, May 8, 2011, I posted a Two Part Series on Alzheimer's. Some of you have Emailed me and asked me about my Story and various questions about Alzheimer's and Dementia. I'm no expert in the field. I'm not the one to answer any Medical Questions at all. But the folks over at The Alzheimer's Association CAN answer your questions. Go to THEIR site and check it out. It is well worth the time. It is a Treasure Trove of information from what Alzheimer's and Dementia is, the Warning Signs to dealing with someone who suffers from the disease. They are GREAT people also. I'm in contact with some over there and they REALLY want to get you this information.

But a friend of mine asked me, "Pete, I saw your Post on Alzheimer's. I do not talk about it, but I think I may be seeing some early signs of it in my Mom. I would be lying if I said I was not starting to get a little scared, but I do not want to read something into nothing." So again I directed him to The Alzheimer's Association Website. But since this IS something that many of us will have to deal with, I figured why not discuss this a bit more in this weeks Health and Science Segment.

Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer's, a fatal brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor. Learn how Alzheimer's affects the brain and take the Brain Tour.

10 warning signs of Alzheimer's:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

What's a typical age-related change? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

Challenges in planning or solving problems

Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

What's a typical age-related change? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.

Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure

People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

What's a typical age-related change? Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.

Confusion with time or place

People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

What's a typical age-related change? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not realize they are the person in the mirror.

What's a typical age-related change? Vision changes related to cataracts.

New problems with words in speaking or writing

People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock").

What's a typical age-related change? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.

What's a typical age-related change? Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control.

Decreased or poor judgment

People with Alzheimer's may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.

What's a typical age-related change? Making a bad decision once in a while.

Withdrawal from work or social activities

A person with Alzheimer's may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.

What's a typical age-related change? Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.

Changes in mood and personality

The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.

What's a typical age-related change? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

Copyright © 2009 Alzheimer's Association®. All rights reserved.

So I told my friend, if his Mom is showing any of these signs, and I'm telling YOU, if YOU or a Loved One of YOURS is showing any of these signs, PLEASE go to the Doctor and get checked out. Time is NOT on your side.

Be right back.
Peter

Sources:
Alzheimer's Association - 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's

Early Detection of Alzheimer's

This could be good news for many people.

Hey folks,

Time for the Health and Science Segment. Some of you know that I had a friend named Vera. When I met her, she was about 88 years young. Sharp as a tack and full of life. As a matter of fact, she always took credit, of which I am happy to give her, for bringing me and Laura {My Wife} together.

I would sit with her and smoke, tell stories, and just enjoy her company. So would Laura at different times. Then Vera started telling me that Laura was a beautiful Girl and that she thinks that Laura likes me. At the same time, she was telling Laura about how "handsome" I was and that she thought we would make a great couple.

Now there is an eight year age difference between me and Laura. So I was a bit hesitant to say the least. But Vera persistent, and one day me and Laura went out for coffee to talk about Vera.

That was about Five years, and our Son Joshua, ago. The rest as they say is history. When Josh was born, as soon as medically cleared to do so, we brought him into the Nursing Home to see Vera. She was amazed at Joshua and we would then continue to visit with Vera for about a year after.

Then all of a sudden Vera would get a little confused. Sometimes she thought I was her late Husband and sometimes her Son Inlaw. Sometimes she remembered Laura and sometimes she thought that Laura was her Daughter.

It was truly sad to watch time slip by and Vera fade away. Once a vibrate, precious little Lady, with the wisdom of Yoda and the experience of a long life, to nothing more than a shell of what she once was.

Vera passed on at the ripe old age of 92. I hope that there is a special place set aside in Heaven for this precious little Lady.

I know a lot about sickness and disease. My Grandfather had Parkinson's, my Grandmother had a Heart problem, my Father had Cancer, Emphysema, Asthma, and about 12 dozen circulatory problems, my Mother is having some medical issues right now we are dealing with. But Alzheimer's, Dementia, are really much worse in my opinion. The person you know and love is still there with you, yet not really. They are there but the person that they were is gone.

So I saw this. It really touched me. I hope that this is good news for anyone out there with loved ones suffering or starting to see the signs already themselves. According to Reuters - New test can detect early Alzheimer's: study

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A new test can accurately detect Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages, before dementia symptoms surface and widespread damage occurs, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The test, which measures proteins in spinal fluid that can point to Alzheimer's, was 87 percent accurate at predicting which patients with early memory problems and other symptoms of cognitive impairment would eventually be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they said.

87 Percent! That is great news.

"With this test, we can reliably detect and track the progression of Alzheimer's disease," said Leslie Shaw of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, whose study appears in the Annals of Neurology.

Such tests, which look for so-called biomarkers of disease, can help researchers better focus trials of Alzheimer's treatments, Shaw said.

The test may also lead to better strategies to keep mild memory impairments from progressing into full-blown Alzheimer's disease, a fatal, mind-robbing ailment that is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, he added.

Many teams have been seeking ways to diagnose Alzheimer's in its early stages, which would allow doctors to give people drugs aimed at slowing the disease.

Shaw and colleagues set out to create a standardized test that focuses on levels of two classic hallmarks of Alzheimer's in the brain: amyloid beta protein, which forms sticky brain plaques, and abnormal levels of the protein tau, which forms fibrous tangles in the brain.

"What we are measuring is the amount of the tau protein and the concentration of the amyloid beta42 polypeptide," Shaw said in a telephone interview.

TEST ALSO RULES OUT DISEASE

The team evaluated spinal fluid taken from 410 patients who were part of a large Alzheimer's study.

They found people with low concentrations of amyloid beta42 were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, presumably because the protein was accumulating in plaques in the brain.

They also found people with high levels of tau in their spinal fluid were more likely to develop the disease. "The release of tau into the fluid compartment is thought to be the result of the dying of the nerve cells. They release their contents," Shaw said.

He said these two measures accurately predicted which patients with memory problems would develop Alzheimer's disease in 87 percent of the cases. The test also ruled out the disease in 95.2 percent of the volunteers.

Shaw said the findings are encouraging both for patients and for drug companies, which may finally have a way diagnose the disease early on.

"The general consensus is you are going to have the best chance to improve Alzheimer's disease if you can catch it early, when there is more brain function there to preserve," he said.

An estimated 26 million people have Alzheimer's globally and experts predict this number will grow to 106 million by 2050.

Keep working on it Docs. Seriously. This is great news. I do not wish ANYONE to go through losing someone they love to this disease if we can find a simple way of detecting it. Let's work together and find a way to no only treat it in the early stages, but possibly even eliminate it all together.
Peter

Sources:
Reuters - New test can detect early Alzheimer's: study