Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disease that seriously threatens the health of the elderly, is becoming a problem that more and more families have to face as the population ages. Understanding its early signs is of great significance for early intervention and treatment and delaying the progression of the disease. Before we discuss these signs, let’s first analyze the causes of Alzheimer’s disease.
1. Causes of Alzheimer's disease
Genetic inheritance: Genes play an important role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. About 5% of patients are caused by specific gene mutations inherited from the family. These mutated genes directly affect the metabolism of amyloid proteins in the brain, causing abnormal proteins to accumulate in the brain, thereby causing damage and death of nerve cells. If a direct relative in the family has Alzheimer's disease, the risk of other members developing the disease increases significantly.
Changes in brain structure: As we age, a series of changes occur inside the brain that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. Among them, β-amyloid protein forms plaques in the brain, and tau protein undergoes abnormal phosphorylation to form neurofibrillary tangles. These lesions interfere with the normal signal transmission between nerve cells, gradually destroying the normal function of the brain and ultimately leading to the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.
Lifestyle factors: Long-term unhealthy lifestyle also lays the hidden danger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Lack of exercise will slow down the body's metabolism, poor blood circulation in the brain, and inability to provide sufficient nutrients to nerve cells; an unbalanced diet and excessive intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods can easily lead to obesity, diabetes and other diseases, which will further Damages brain blood vessels and increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease; long-term smoking can cause vasoconstriction and reduce blood supply to the brain, while excessive drinking can directly damage nerve cells and affect the normal function of the brain.
2. Five early signs
Now that we understand the causes, let’s look at the top 5 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly.
1. Memory loss, affecting daily life: This is the most common early symptom. At first, the patient may only occasionally forget what just happened, such as putting down the keys and not remembering where they put them in a blink of an eye; after chatting with family members, they repeat the same question after a while. Gradually, this memory loss became more severe and began to interfere with daily life. For example, forgetting whether you have eaten, frequently forgetting appointments with others, or even getting lost on the way home after going out. If this kind of situation occurs frequently among the elderly, family members must be vigilant.
2. Decreased ability to plan and solve problems: Older people who were once good at handling complex matters will show signs of deterioration in their abilities at an early stage. In the past, I could easily calculate the family’s income and expenditure, but now I feel overwhelmed when looking at the account book; when preparing a simple meal, I often forget the steps and miss the ingredients. At work or in life, it becomes difficult to make plans and it is impossible to arrange things in an orderly manner as before. This decline in ability is not an accidental oversight, but a manifestation of a gradual decline in brain function.
3. Impairments in language expression: Early patients will have problems with language expression. When talking, they may suddenly have trouble finding the right words, and their speech may become halting and they may frequently fail to convey their meaning. Sometimes, the same word is used repeatedly, or vague expressions are used to replace things that cannot be remembered. For example, if you want to say “mobile phone”, you can only describe it as “the thing that can make calls”. It also becomes difficult to understand the meaning of text when reading and writing, and the written content is logically confusing and the words do not express the meaning clearly.
4. Confusion about time and place: Forgetting specific dates and seasons and not knowing the current time may not be uncommon for the elderly, but if it happens frequently, you need to pay special attention. Early stage patients may get lost in familiar places, not knowing where they are, and may not even be able to recognize their own neighborhood or street. Although he is at home, he insists that this is not his home. This confusion of time and place seriously affected their normal lives.
5. Mood and behavioral changes: In the early stages of the disease, the patient's mood and behavior will undergo subtle changes. They may become more anxious and depressed than before, feeling uneasy and sad for no apparent reason. The mood fluctuates greatly, sometimes being happy and sometimes being inexplicably angry. A person who originally had a cheerful personality may become taciturn, withdrawn, and lose interest in social activities. Some patients may also exhibit repetitive behaviors, such as rubbing their hands constantly and pacing.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may not be obvious and can be easily overlooked. However, when the elderly in the family show the above signs, family members must take them to the hospital for professional examination in time. Only early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment can improve the patient's quality of life and delay the progression of the disease to the greatest extent. At the same time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also help reduce the risk of disease and allow the elderly to have a healthy and happy later life.
