Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to die. Alzheimer’s disease affects in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person’s ability to function independently.Alzheimer is also the most common cause of dementia (a continuous decline in thinking, remembering, and reasoning).

There is no treatment that cures Alzheimer’s disease or alters the disease. Moreover, complications from severe loss of brain function such as dehydration, malnutrition or infection may also result in death. Hence, it is very necessary to prevent individuals from deteriorating further from the disease.


Symptoms

1. Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Early signs include difficulty remembering recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, memory impairments worsen and other symptoms develop.
3. A family member or friend may be more likely to notice how the symptoms worsen.
4. Repeat statements and questions over and over
5. Forget conversations, appointments or event.

 Everyone has occasional memory lapses, but the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s persists and worsens affecting the ability to function at work or at home.

Risk factors
Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. It mainly affects people over 65. Beside that these are the few risk factors that increases an individuals chances of developing a disease.

1. Genetics
2. Head injuries
3. Depression
   
   The damage initially takes place in parts of the brain involved in memory, including the ento-rhinal cortex and hippo campus. It later affects areas in the cerebral cortex, such as those responsible for language, reasoning and social behavior eventually many other areas of the brain are damaged. Alzheimer’s disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in United States.

Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
Although many studies and research have been conducted, and many more are still going on, so far nothing has been proven to prevent or delay dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease. But few of the strategies that can be applied to prevent this disease and they are:

1. Stop smoking
2. Keeping Alcohol to minimum
3. Eating a healthy balanced diet including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables.
4. Physical exercise
   
   Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.  Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think or make term for the impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions that impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities.
   
   Alzheimer’s disease is the most common types of dementia though dementia mostly affects older adults. It is not part of normal ageing. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning thinking, remembering, and reasoning to such an extent that it interferes with person’s daily life and activities. Dementia is more common as people grow older may have some form of dementia but it is not normal part of aging. Many people live into their in 90’s and beyond without any signs of dementia.
   
   As mentioned before Alzheimer’s disease causes behavioral and emotional effects. This causes neuro-psychiatric symptoms such as depression, apathy, aggression, and psychosis. These symptoms may affect the overall functioning of the individual and may require further support and counseling to accept, adjust and deal with the ongoing changes, for such cases a formal session of psycho-social counseling can be a big help.
   
   Note: For further help and queries you can visit a nearby mental health service provider.