Alzheimer's, how to detect the disease early

Alzheimer’s is a disease that generally affects those over 60 years of age, but as with menopause, it can appear well before their established age. It has not been shown that this disease affects more men than women, but the numbers show a certain parity, therefore, gender is not taken into account when determining the possible causes.

What is Alzheimer’s?

This disease is not like the flu, which comes, we are sick for a few days and then it leaves us alone, but once it makes an appearance, our life goes into decline. A very hard disease that weighs down hundreds of families every year and for which there is still no cure or effective treatment, only maintenance medication to alleviate the symptoms.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disorder , that is, a degenerative disease and causes the brain to shrink and slowly kills neurons. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, which comes after a continuous deterioration of cognitive abilities, thinking, behavior, social relationships, thinking, remembering, making decisions, speaking and all those factors that make us independent and we can live without depending on anyone.

Possible causes of the disease

Surely on more than one occasion we have asked ourselves what causes Alzheimer’s? And it is that at the moment it has not been demonstrated what factors cause us to suffer this disease from the age of 60, so its most probable causes are the most logical conclusions after countless studies.

Among the most certain causes that scientists have compiled we have:

• Genetic inheritance
• Environmental factors.
• Genetic changes (these are very rare and isolated cases and are what cause the onset of the disease at an early age).
• Neuropathological causes (there are failures in the connections between neurons and later they die, producing inflammatory processes and memory loss).
• Unhealthy life habits .
• Heart problems.
• Age.
• Toxic substances.
• Trauma to the head.
• Sleep disorders. (By not resting the brain, the damage accumulates).
• Oral infections such as gingivitis, periodontitis, herpes, etc.

Scientists have concluded that Alzheimer’s appears after the interaction of various factors, especially genetic, environmental and lifestyle that affect the brain in the long term. So much so that when the disease begins to make an appearance, it is estimated that the process began 10 or 15 years earlier.

Main symptoms of Alzheimer’s

As we have already said there is no single cause nor is a certain age met and boom! we already know whether or not we have the disease. It is a long and silent process that when he shows his face it is too late. We are going to say some symptoms to detect Alzheimer’s quickly, either in ourselves or in a friend, acquaintance or family member.

• Memory failures such as repeating affirmations, forgetting conversations, asking the same questions over and over again, forgetting names and dates that we knew perfectly well before, getting lost in a place that is well known to us, basic vocabulary problems, etc.
• Feeling groggy and out of place.
• Trouble concentrating especially with numbers.
• Difficulty evaluating something or making decisions, even if it is something simple like choosing a t-shirt or a plate of food.
• Inability to plan or carry out activities that require prior organization, such as cooking, playing, bathing, eating, etc.
• Changes in behavior and personality, becoming apathetic, fearful, distrustful, socially isolated, aggressive, irritability, delusions, depression, etc.
• Sleep disorders, those with Alzheimer’s tend to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep for a long time.

Risk factor’s

There are a number of risk factors that can lead to the onset of the disease. If we have carefully read the possible causes, we can discover that the risk factors of Alzheimer’s are in that thread. That is to say, to try to avoid the disease, or at least delay it as much as possible, we have to eat a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and others, have a healthy lifestyle, avoid blows to the head, stay mentally active, being sociable and socializing with other people, having a good rest, etc.

Apart from these factors for the better in our daily lives, there are other risk factors for Alzheimer’s that no matter how much we want to, we cannot change:

• Age, since from 60 you enter a risk zone.
• The genetic inheritance. If there is a family history, we can suffer from the disease as well.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Smoking
• Heart problems, hence the importance of a healthy lifestyle and always staying active.
• Environmental pollution, a risk factor to which we are exposed on a daily basis, unless we can move to areas with less pollution, such as the outskirts of large cities, coastal areas, rural areas, etc.
• Being of one sex or the other, a factor that we cannot change. Alzheimer’s affects the same, but women, living longer, are more likely to suffer from the disease.
• Down’s Syndrome.
• Head trauma.
• Obesity.
• High blood pressure.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High cholesterol.
• Mild cognitive impairment.

Can Alzheimer’s be prevented?

No, unfortunately this disease cannot be prevented. Moreover, it is believed that, even if we discover the exact cause or causes that lead us to suffer from Alzheimer’s, we will not be able to prevent the arrival of the disease. Currently we only have medicines to alleviate the symptoms and in some cases they manage to delay the arrival, but the disease continues its course and is unstoppable.

Specialists recommend leading a healthy life away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco, as well as changing ultra-processed and unhealthy food for a balanced and varied diet with fresh and healthy products, avoiding sugar to a great extent, doing sports, staying mentally active, participating in social activities, taking care of our heart and oral health, avoiding obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, reading, dancing, playing board games, playing musical instruments, etc.