What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, which affects memory, behavior, and thinking. Dementia is a group of symptoms that may not always indicate Alzheimer’s, but most dementia cases are the result of Alzheimer’s. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s grow severe enough over time to interfere with a person’s ability to function normally with daily tasks.

Experts believe that plaques and tangles cause Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. Plaques are build-ups of protein that appear in spaces between nerve cells in the brain. This prevents the cells in the brain from doing their job and interrupts processes involved in memory, thinking, and behavior. Tangles are twisted fibers of a different protein that build up inside cells and are thought to interrupt processes in the brain. Over time the brain shrinks due to changes caused by the disease.

Contrary to some opinions, Alzheimer’s is not a standard part of aging. Aging is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and most cases of the disease occur in people 65 or older, but it can occur at earlier ages for some. The disease is progressive and gets worse over time. Symptoms typically start mild but become very severe.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Trouble remembering newly learned information
• Forgetting important events or dates, having to rely on memory aids
• Difficulty working with numbers, increasing inability to manage finances or monthly bills
• Trouble managing daily tasks like getting too familiar places, writing lists, or working familiar appliances
• Losing track of dates, time, the passage of time, forgetting where one is
• Trouble following conversation, not being able to understand or find the right words
• Losing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them
• Poor judgment with money, hygiene, or health
• Withdrawing from social interactions
• Mood and personality changes, confusion, paranoia, depression, anxiety

Reading through the symptoms may leave you feeling like some of these are experienced by people without Alzheimer’s disease. The effects of normal aging can cause similar effects that are much less severe and don’t impact daily life in the same way. Normal aging may include:

• Sometimes forgetting things, but later remembering them
• Making some errors with managing finances
• Sometimes needing help with tasks around the house
• Having some confusion about time or day, but later sorting it out
• Vision changes that are due to eye conditions like cataracts
• Sometimes struggling to find the right word at the moment
• Losing some things, but being able to retrace one’s steps to find them
• Sometimes wanting distance from social interactions
• Being irritated when routines are upset

There is presently no cure for Alzheimer’s. Treatments focus on symptom management but do not stop the progression of the condition. Medications for memory, focus, and behavior are often utilized to manage symptoms. Treatment may also involve managing sleep routines and sleep itself to support overall health.

If you or someone you know are experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s, talk with your doctor, and you can reach out to the Alzheimer’s Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.