It can be one of the most emotionally painful diseases for you or a loved one. But there’s good news: You have some of the best minds in neuroscience on your side.
It can be one of the most painful diseases to watch a loved one develop – and is equally frightening if you notice the early symptoms in yourself. Alzheimer’s disease usually begins with trouble remembering things that happened recently. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe and affect more areas of the person’s life. Language can become confused, they’re likely to suffer from mood swings and may get lost easily. Self-care might become a struggle, and as the disease continues to worsen they’re likely to begin withdrawing from society.
This devastating disease affects approximately five million people in America and is the most common cause of dementia. But the good news is you have some of the best minds in neuroscience on your side. Together with INTEGRIS Health physicians, neuroscientists, therapists and experts, we’ll do all we can to forestall the disease, alleviate the symptoms and give you as many wonderful years as we can with your loved one.
Alzheimer’s Disease causes changes in behavior and thinking known as dementia. The following are the most common symptoms, but not everyone has all of these symptoms and they may resemble other health conditions or problems. Always see your doctor for a diagnosis:
No single test can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Your doctor will begin by ruling out other conditions. The only way to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is to examine the brain after death. It’s important to find out if the dementia is caused by an illness that can be treated. Your doctor will perform thorough exams including:
At this time, Alzheimer disease has no cure. There is no way of slowing down the progression of this disease, and no treatment is available to reverse the changes that the disease brings on. But new research findings give reason for hope. Several medicines are being studied in clinical trials to see if they can slow the progress of the disease or improve memory for a period of time. Treatments for Alzheimer’s include:
We strive to provide you with care that’s not only the best available, but care that’s convenient and as close to home as possible. These INTEGRIS Health locations near you are ready to help.
