Known to be one of the most common forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating ailment. Usually, it starts with slight memory loss and progresses through stages over a period. It affects the regions of the brain that control language, thought, and memory. In the final stages, Alzheimer’s disease causes loss of various abilities, including making conversation and moving independently. Read on to know a few important things about Alzheimer’s.

• Symptoms: One of the first warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease is cognitive impairment. It starts with memory loss, and a person may experience multiple symptoms over time. These include rapid changes in behavior, mood, or personality. A person may also develop poor judgment, along with misplacing things or having trouble retracing their steps to find them. Additionally, rapid memory loss disrupts daily life, so patients may find it difficult to complete routine tasks and manage money or bills. In some cases, patients may also face depression.
• Causes: There is no known definite cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists say that multiple factors may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. One of the main factors is age, and a family history of Alzheimer’s may also elevate an individual’s risk of developing the disease. Other potential risk factors include heart ailments, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
• Stages: Alzheimer’s disease progresses through three major stages. Preclinical, the first stage, is before the symptoms begin to appear. The second stage is mild cognitive impairment, and it is characterized by mild symptoms that are just beginning to appear. The last and final stage of the condition is dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association has also described seven stages based on the severity of the symptoms. The stages begin at a state of no cognitive impairment and move through mild and moderate decline to very severe decline of cognitive functioning.
• Diagnosis: The diagnosis is usually done in the fourth stage of the disease, known as “early stage or mild Alzheimer’s.” There is no single test that indicates the onset of this disease, so doctors usually start by looking at the signs and symptoms, family history, and a patient’s medical history. Neurological functions like senses, balance, and reflexes may also be examined. In certain cases, doctors may also suggest genetic testing, blood and urine tests, CT scans, and MRI scans to rule out other ailments and evaluate a patient’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
• Treatment: The condition cannot be cured, so the treatment methods are geared toward better management of life with the disease. Medications and therapy sessions can help patients cope with the symptoms more effectively, improving their quality of life. Treatment helps people with Alzheimer’s disease maintain mental functions, manage the behavioral symptoms associated with the condition, and slow its progression.