Alzheimer's disease can lead to disruption of connections between nerve cells in the brain. It generally comes with severe functional and mental disorders. Older people are mainly susceptible to a neurodegenerative disorder, resulting in loss of intellectual abilities, physical activity, and memory. Patients suffering from Alzheimer'scannot take care of themselves and need constant care.

According to statistics, 10% of people over 70 have dementia, and almost half of them suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is a pan-ethnic, genetically heterogeneous disease, affecting around 4 million people in India.

There are mainly two types of Alzheimer's disease:

• early onset (symptoms before age 65);
• with late-onset (in people over 65);

Causes of Alzheimer's disease occurrence

The exact reason for the development of Alzheimer's disease is still unknown. However, scientists have established several factors that can lead to the onset of the disease.

• with a hereditary predisposition (from the first blood relative)
• in acute and chronic complications of the blood supply to the brain due to strokes, atherosclerosis, transient ischemic attacks, arterial hypertension, etc;
• against the background of past injuries or bruises of the brain;
• with malignant and benign brain tumours;
• people suffering from severe psychological trauma or depression;
• against the background of smoking, alcohol abuse, or chronic intoxication;

Alzheimer's disease symptoms

The initial stages of Alzheimer's disease are often mistaken for normal signs of ageing. Its symptoms can include short-term memory loss and sudden changes in behaviour.

Signs of Alzheimer's Disease:

• Impulsiveness;
• Irritability;
• Change in facial expressions (patient can open his eyes wide, rarely blinks and depicts disorientation in some instances);
• Slovenliness;
• Severe symptoms of memory impairment;
• A person can find it hard to distinguish between right and left, to recognize himself in the mirror, to count;
• Epileptic seizures are also possible;

Is Alzheimer's disease curable?

Unfortunately, the answer is NO! However, thanks to modern medication and symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's, it is possible to control Alzheimer's patient's intelligence more gradually. The effectiveness of treatment depends on many factors, including the duration of the medication intake. Some patients may get better after a few uses, and others need to take medicine continuously for many years.