Watching a loved one deal with memory impairment like Alzheimer’s disease can be emotionally devastating. These conditions cause extreme complications in a person’s day-to-day life, so it’s natural to be curious about solutions. For example: can you reverse Alzheimer’s?
While treatments and special residential memory care communities are available to help people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there currently isn’t a known cure.
Alzheimer’s is a complex disease that presents itself in many ways depending on the person involved. It has many different short and long-term effects on a person’s memory, cognitive function, and behavior.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder that directly affects the brain. This condition impairs cognitive function, memory, behavior, and other aspects of the brain and is the most common form of dementia. It’s considered a neurodegenerative disorder, which can lead to the death of nerve cells and parts of the central nervous system in its later stages.
This form of memory impairment is caused by an abnormal buildup of two proteins in the brain.
- Beta-amyloid, which forms plaques around brain cells, and
- Tau, which tangles the nerve cells in the brain
A buildup of these two proteins can damage and kill certain brain cells by disrupting how your brain cells operate and communicate with each other, leading to cognitive problems and behavioral changes.
Currently, it’s unknown what exactly causes these proteins to build up and cause problems, but several factors may contribute to the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s, including:
- Age
- Genetics
- Lifestyle
- Medical conditions
Some of these factors can be changed, like lifestyle and diet. Eating a healthy diet, exercising often, and challenging your brain can lower your risk of developing memory impairment.
What Are the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is gradual and typically begins with mild memory loss, temporary bouts of confusion, and difficulty with complex tasks. As it progresses, these symptoms become more and more severe, leading to cognitive impairment and other problems. In late stages, Alzheimer’s disease can lead to losing bodily functions and the ability to communicate.
In early stages, the first signs of Alzheimer’s development typically include:
- Short-term memory loss
- Forgetting important names, events, or conversations
- Poor decision-making
- Inability to solve problems
- Mild communication errors
- Mood swings
As Alzheimer’s progresses, these symptoms can progress and become significantly worse. A person may begin to develop the following:
- Serious memory problems
- The loss of communication
- Inability to solve problems
- Difficulty with daily activities
- Loss of bodily functions
- Severe behavioral changes
If left untreated, Alzheimer’s disease can seriously affect a person’s life. It can eventually lead to a complete loss of bodily functions and leave a person bedridden.
Is Alzheimer’s Disease Reversible?
If you have a loved one who’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it’s important you seek the care they need. Typically, the best way to help a loved one with Alzheimer’s is by seeking the help of a memory care community. Due to the nature of memory impairment, this condition can lead to serious long-term damage to a person’s cognitive ability.
While there are treatment options available, Alzheimer’s can be a difficult condition to deal with. Alzheimer’s is a highly complex condition with many different short and long-term complications, which makes it much more difficult to diagnose and treat properly.
Most plans to treat this condition involve providing people with comfort, independence, and dignity. Treatment options typically include the attempt to combat the cognitive decline caused by the damage it does to brain cells. By constantly challenging and exercising the muscles in your brain used for decision-making, problem-solving, and memory, you can significantly slow the progression of memory impairment.
How is Alzheimer’s Treated?
While there are options for treating Alzheimer’s at home, you often cannot provide the care needed for your loved ones. This is when respite care and memory care come into play.
In respite care, your loved one can receive the care they need while you rest, allowing you to avoid caregiver burnout, while memory care communities offer a long-term solution to provide your loved one permanent care and support.
Here at Fox Trail in Princeton, we understand the complex nature of memory impairment conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. To receive the care your loved one deserves, schedule a tour with us today, and take the first step toward treating your loved one’s Alzheimer’s.
