Women's Health

Women's Health

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One of the Projects of the GFWC is
"New Horizons In Health".
The GFWC Fairmont Woman's Club has chosen a project called
"A Healthy You"
to promote the GFWC Program. Each month the Fairmont Club makes available material on a different health issue to the Fairmont club and members of the Fairmont community. This year we will be addressing many women's health issues and this page will have information on the health issue for that month. Check here each month to learn more on women's health.

Alzheimer’s Disease

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Some change in memory is normal as we grow older, but the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are more than simple lapses in memory.

People with Alzheimer’s experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking and reasoning — problems severe enough to have an impact on an individual's work, social activities and family life.

The Alzheimer's Association has developed a checklist of common symptoms to help you recognize the difference between normal age-related memory changes and possible warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

There’s no clear-cut line between normal changes and warning signs. It’s always a good idea to check with a doctor if a person’s level of function seems to be changing. The Alzheimer’s Association believes that it is critical for people diagnosed with dementia and their families to receive information, care and support as early as possible.

10 warning signs of Alzheimer's:

1. Memory loss. Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs of dementia. A person begins to forget more often and is unable to recall the information later.

What's normal? Forgetting names or appointments occasionally.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. People with dementia often find it hard to plan or complete everyday tasks. Individuals may lose track of the steps involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call or playing a game.

What's normal? Occasionally forgetting why you came into a room or what you planned to say.

3. Problems with language. People with Alzheimer’s disease often forget simple words or substitute unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand. They may be unable to find the toothbrush, for example, and instead ask for "that thing for my mouth.”

What's normal? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

4. Disorientation to time and place. People with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost in their own neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.

What's normal? Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going.

5. Poor or decreased judgment. Those with Alzheimer’s may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers on a warm day or little clothing in the cold. They may show poor judgment, like giving away large sums of money to telemarketers.

What's normal? Making a questionable or debatable decision from time to time.

6. Problems with abstract thinking. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may have unusual difficulty performing complex mental tasks, like forgetting what numbers are for and how they should be used.

What's normal? Finding it challenging to balance a checkbook.

7. Misplacing things. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

What's normal? Misplacing keys or a wallet temporarily.

8. Changes in mood or behavior. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may show rapid mood swings – from calm to tears to anger – for no apparent reason.

What's normal? Occasionally feeling sad or moody.

9. Changes in personality. The personalities of people with dementia can change dramatically. They may become extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a family member.

What's normal? People’s personalities do change somewhat with age.

10. Loss of initiative. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours, sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do usual activities.

What's normal? Sometimes feeling weary of work or social obligations.

If you recognize any warning signs in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends consulting a doctor. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step to getting appropriate treatment, care and support services.

Everyone forgets a name or misplaces keys occasionally. Many healthy people are less able to remember certain kinds of information as they get older.

The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are much more severe than simple memory lapses. If you or someone you know is experiencing Alzheimer symptoms, consult a doctor.

Alzheimer's disease Prepared by the Alzheimer's Association

About understanding .
Alzheimer's disease is a disorder that destroys cells in the brain. The disease is the leading cause of dementia, a condition that involves gradual memory loss, decline in the ability to perform routine tasks, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, impairment of judgment, and personality changes. As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's become unable to care for themselves. The loss of brain cells eventually leads to the failure of other systems in the body. The rate of progression of Alzheimer's varies from person to person. The time from the onset of symptoms until death ranges from 3 to 20 years. The average duration is about 8 years. What do we know about Alzheimer's?

Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, first described the disease in 1906. He observed in the autopsy of a woman with dementia two kinds of abnormal structures in the brain that are now recognized as hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Since then, researchers have learned much about how these structures form, but they do not know exactly what role each structure plays in the loss of brain cells.

greatest known risk for developing Alzheimer's is increasing age.
As many as 10 percent of people 65 years of age and older have Alzheimer's, and nearly 50 percent of people 85 and older have the disease.
A family history of the disease is another known risk. Having a parent or sibling with the disease increases an individual's chances of developing Alzheimer's. Scientists have identified three genes that cause rare, inherited forms of the disease that tend to occur before age 65. Investigations of these genes have provided important clues about the biology of Alzheimer's. Researchers have also identified one gene that raises the risk of the more common form of Alzheimer's that affects older people.

How is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed?
Physicians can diagnose Alzheimer's disease with a level of accuracy exceeding 90 percent, but there is no single test to detect the disorder. A physician will use a variety of tests to assess memory and thinking skills and will usually ask a family member about changes in an individual's memory or behavior. The workup will also involve a thorough physical exam and a review of the individual's medical history. Various laboratory tests may be ordered, including blood or urine samples or brain imaging scans.
All of this information can help physicians identify the most probable cause of symptoms and n~le out treatable conditions that may cause memory problems or other dementia symptoms. These include depression, adverse drug reactions, and nutritional deficiencies.
Researchers continue to investigate ways to improve diagnostic tools. New strategies may lead to earlier diagnosis and, therefore, earlier treatment.

What treatments are available?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two classes of dnxgs to treat memory symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The first specific Alzheimer medications to be approved were donepezil (Aricept®), approved in 1996; rivastigmine (Exelon®), approved in 2000; and galantamine (Reminyl®), approved in 2001. Tacrine (Cognex®), the first cholinesterase inhibitor, was approved in 1993 but is rarely used today because of associated side effects, including possible liver damage.
All of these drugs work by temporarily increasing the brain's supply of acetylcholine (pronounced ah SEE til KOH lean), a cell-to-cell communication chemical involved in learni~g and memory that becomes deficient in the Alzheimer brain.
In October 2003, the FDA approved memantine (Namenda®), the first Alzheimer drug that works by regulating the activity of glutamate, another cell-to-cell communication chemical. Some glutamate is needed for learning and memory, but too much can overstimulate and damage nerve cells. Memantine protects brain cells against the effects of excess glutamate.
Physicians often prescribe vitamin E because it may block molecular activity contributing to brain cell damage. Other medications may be prescribed to treat such symptoms as agitation, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep. Many care strategies and activities can be used to manage behavior, prevent agitation, and improve the quality of life for people with the disease. Such strategies may also lessen the stress that caregivers often experience. Researchers are pursuing several lines of investigation for developing new treatments that may delay onset or slow progression of the disease. Many scientists believe that in the years to come we will have a regimen of drugs rather than a "magic bullet" for treating people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

What additional help is available?
The Alzheimer's Association, through its nationwide network of chapters, offers a broad range of programs and services for people with the disease, their families, and caregivers. For additional resources, please visit our Web site at www.alzgreatplains.org or contact the Great Plains Chapter at 800-487-2585.