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Lesser Known Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

10/092 Comments

Lesser known early signs of Alzheimer’s you must know

Early-Signs

One of the greatest impairments of the human faculties is the loss of cognitive function. Difficulty or inability to recall information, performing regular tasks such as walking, tying shoelaces or buttoning shirts, and gradually higher order tasks such as writing or problem solving, could be signaling the signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The disease mostly affects adults of 65 years of age and above, though the symptoms could appear as early as 40 years. Here’s what you need to know about some of the lesser known Early Signs and Symptoms .

Alzheimer’s disease progressively limits and incapacitates the brain to remember and retain information, and perform functions that are otherwise simple and ordinary or second to human nature. This could be very frustrating for the one affected by this disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common of all cases reported of dementia, a wider term used for degenerative functions and diseases of the brain.

Despite advancements in medical science, prevention and cure, there is still no conclusive study or research on what causes Alzheimer’s and how to cure it. It becomes highly important to be aware of the subtle signs that could be indicative of Alzheimer’s disease. Seek the doctor’s advice if you notice any of the symptoms below in yourself or your loved ones.

Mood swings and behavioral issues
One of the lesser known symptoms or signs of Alzheimer’s are mood swings – or sudden changes in behavior. Signs could include feeling depressed, irritability, overreacting to minor issues, or showing an unusual lack of interest in activities that were otherwise enjoyable. Occasionally, individuals may seem withdrawn from life activities and may remain silent or unresponsive. Patients have been reported to undergo a phenomenal change in personality and behavioral responses especially once they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia. Such signs should not be dismissed as normal or part of the aging process, it is important to consult with a physician to identify conditions.

The failing sense of smell
Perhaps the most suitable of all indicators and commonly unnoticeable, is the failing olfactory function, or sense of smell. Research is suggesting that patients could show a distinct inability to identify scent, recall the experience, and associate or distinguish between various smells, as an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Since the disease is degenerative in impact, the human faculties including the basis sense of smell could be impaired.

Increasing confusion and inability to solve problems
Patients are also reported to experience anxiety and demonstrate an inability to solve simple problems such as following given steps to complete an action, deciphering meaning and implications of words, making connections, and repeating an otherwise ordinary task. This could also include patients getting confused about what day it is, whether they locked the door, or recall what they were doing an hour ago, or on a particular day or vacation. This state of confusion could progress into more advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. Although not conclusive, these are classic symptoms of the onset of the disease.

Sleep disorders and disorientation
Some research is corroborating that patients suffering from sleep disorders could develop Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia in later life. Therefore, a healthy and balanced lifestyle adds great value to general well-being and strength, and the absence of it could lead to cognitive impairments of various kind. Patients may often experience disorientation, e.g. what direction to take, which words to choose to convey a message, and how to respond to different situations.
These disorientations clubbed together with occasional to frequent memory loss, such as, where the car keys were last kept, where the superstore is located and how to reach it, significantly impact the quality of life and contribute to anxiety and depression among patients, and even family members and caregivers.

Lifestyle and preventive measures
While available research suggests that Alzheimer’s is incurable or the effects irreversible, a preventive approach could keep the disease away. There is always hope. A healthy lifestyle has far reaching effects and impact on the quality of life. One must be aware of what productive actions to take for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and identify the routines and regimens that promote and support overall well-being.

The preventive approach advocates for consistent routines in
• regular exercise
• positive and productive social engagements and interactions
• managing stress and sleep schedules
• eating healthy and avoiding alcohol and substance abuse

Much of what we eat determines our general health and well-being. Taking the right nutrients and supplements adds value to the consistent routines of managing a good and healthy lifestyle. Be wise! Start today!
Diagnosis and planning for the future

While the different symptoms reported are indicative, experiencing any one or all of them may not always conclude one has Alzheimer’s. Be very focused in your approach to understanding the disease and read articles and books, and use mobile apps, to get the right information. However, do not ignore and overlook symptoms if they persist and affect the quality of life. Often patients are unable to identify these changes in themselves and deny symptoms, which are otherwise noticeable to family and close friends. A complete medical assessment is required to diagnose any degenerative disease of the brain.

A positive mindset. A positive outlook towards life.
While a healthy lifestyle and increased opportunities of engaging in cognitive activities could prevent degenerative diseases of the brain, none of the symptoms, if persisting, should be ignored. Be attentive to changes in your loved ones and yourself. Answer these concerns and learn more about the disease. Establish a healthy lifestyle and exercise the brain with mind relaxing exercises, and other various activities like crosswords, solving riddles and puzzles, and, engaging in rich discourse on topics of interest with friends and family, and such like. Seek medical advice to rule out the symptoms as Alzheimer’s. Remember, there is always hope and ways to manage the quality of life by developing coping mechanisms, accepting support and care from family and friends, and accepting the changes to plan for a better future. Keep well!

Author: Alma Causey
Alma is a mother, wife and a professional blogger. She writes frequently on health, technology and management. Her time is divided between writing and creating exotic cuisines in the kitchen. She loves to discover new places and you’ll often find her globe-trotting with her twins. Find her on Twitter: @Almacausey

 

Filed Under: Common Questions, communication, EARLY STAGE, Guest Post, The Stages, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: confusion, degenerative functions, early signs of dementia, early symptoms of Alzheimer's, failing smell, mood swings, problem solving

Alzheimer’s and Dementia and Anesthesia –What causes the severe Confusion

12/188 Comments

Alzheimer’s Dementia and Anesthesia

When my Mom was hospitalized for tests due to shortness of breath and other symptoms of pneumonia, she was totally confused the entire time she was in the hospital.

She had been to this same hospital many times for tests and such, but had never needed an overnight stay. This time she was hospitalized for a week and I was shocked at how confused she eventually became by the time we took her home.

Mom thought she was still at my house–where she’d lived for more than a year. So she told everyone who who came to visit at the hospital that ‘it was a good thing my house was so large, because my friends had partied all night long making a terrible raucous and keeping her awake for long hours.’

During waking hours we were on the verge of tying her to the bed. She was determined to get up and cook food for all my friends and house guests who kept walking around hungry. She could hardly believe I was such a poor hostess to all these people coming in and out of her room.

Mom had not received any type of anesthesia, so I was puzzled by her much worsened state of confusion. I’d known other Alzheimer’s patients who’d had anesthesia administered and then appeared to regress afterward. Frankly, I always thought it was some side-effect of the medication on an already damaged brain. In fact, I still believe that to be the case in some instances. But, from what I’ve read–much research on this theory has not proven it to be true.

And, after Mom’s behavior (without anesthesia) I must admit, I’ve been double-guessing a few of my own theories on the subject. Nevertheless, my Mom’s behavior worsened substantially after that hospitalization, though she did return to her previous stage when we finally got home. And, of course, any memory of the hospital evaporated as soon as Mom was back in her own room.

Besides the accumulation of tangles and plaques, (clumps of protein called beta-amyloid, which begin accumulating in the front of the brain and gradually spread to other parts) other theories about Alzheimer’s damage to the brain include inflammation, mini strokes, free radicals and glucose deficit, and more. We aren’t even sure when Alzheimer’s actually starts in the brain. Right now, it is believed that it may start many years before we actually see symptoms.

So today, there’s no clear answer about what causes the severe confusion of a Hospital Stay or Anesthesia on the Alzheimer’s or Dementia Patient. But it does happen, as all of us who’ve had a loved one suffer through it can verify. I wonder, now, if it isn’t actually an accumulation of stimuli, too many different rooms, people, things, to shock the brain of a person who’s memory is already pressed to remember their own small world.

The only thing that appears to help is to keep the patient calm and the environment as quiet and unaffected as possible. No easy task, I know, in a hospital.
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Some of our loved ones enjoy music, and that makes it easier to calm them. A few minutes of gentle music can often calm the angriest mood — There are many soft music CD’s that are perfect to calm their nerves. Plus, they may have their own favorite music that works just as well. Don’t forget the salving calm of Music!

Ocean Waves: Calming Sounds of the SeaMore infoIndigo Dreams: Relaxation Music Decreasing StressMore infoThe Calming Collection – Goodbye WorriesMore infoCalm Radio – Music Android App for PhoneMore info

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If they are accustom to wearing a headset–all the better. They can shut out a noisy room and enjoy a few minutes of peace and calm–

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Filed Under: Common Questions, MIDDLE STAGE Tagged With: anesthesia, confusion, dementia and anesthesia, hospital

My Mom was arrested through the mail? Alzheimers 101

07/246 Comments

Mom was arrested … or Alzheimer’s 101

For as long as I can remember, my Mother kept a neat and tidy home. Even when my brothers and I were youngsters, terrorizing the place by sliding down waxed floors in socked feet, our home was neat as a pin.

My Mom was a gentle woman raised in the era shortly after the depression. End tables hid beneath hand-crocheted doilies and flowery table toppers. Trinkets, pottery and carnival-glass bowls sat on every flat surface or shelf. Dusting was an endless task but Mom didn’t mind. That was her chore on Saturdays.

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Before ugly symptoms of Alzheimer’s occurred, I began to notice that Mom wasn’t quite as fastidious as she once was. Her home was clean enough, that was not the issue.

But stacks of mail, in various stages of being opened, had begun to clutter every flat surface from kitchen to bedroom— stacks and stacks of letters and envelopes, opened and unopened mail.

As a rule, I did not snoop into my mother’s business so I wasn’t certain if the mail was bills, business correspondence or just junk. She didn’t appear concerned so I avoided the subject too, though I felt seriously compelled to learn more about this every growing waste of trees.

Several weeks passed as I mulled the dilemma of whether to mention the clutter of mail-overload before I finally got the phone call that forced me to ask.

She was hysterical and even after I calmed her, she struggled through breathless gulps to tell me, “They’re coming to arrest me! You need to get over here quick!”

“What?” I held the phone closer and tried to make sense of the gibberish mumbled between crying sobs. “Mom, calm down. Who’s coming to arrest you? and Why?”

My little, white-haired mother had never done anything in her entire lifetime to garnish an arrest and certainly not now, at age 82, where her longest excursion always ends around the corner at Safeway.

“Mom, calm down. Calm down and tell me what you’re talking about. I’m sure you’ve misunderstood something. What makes you think you’ll be arrested.”

“This letter!” she was wailing now. “It says they are coming to arrest me.”

“What letter?” I could only imagine Mom panting and waving an envelope in the air.

“This letter In my hand. It says they are coming to arrest me.”

“Mom, it’s probably junk mail. Who sent such a letter? Read the return address. Who sent it to you?”

“Return address?”

“Yes Mom…’Return Address ‘ Who sent it? Where did the letter come from?”

“How would I know where it came from?” At least she had stopped crying.

“The return address, Mom,” I felt frustration building. Mom was not dumb so I didn’t know why she was pretending now.

“Return address? What does that mean? Where would that be?”

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Oh my goodness, I was flabbergasted. Mom continued reading aloud, clearly “arrest” was mentioned, but I didn’t have a clue who had sent the letter and couldn’t swear that it was actually intended for Mom. She seemed mystified by the simple term “return address,” which had me near pulling my hair out.

“Okay Mom,” I mustered an authoritarian voice. “I’ll be there in an hour. Everything will be fine. No one is going to arrest you.” Since we lived more than an half-hour apart, I raced to change clothes and make the drive to Mom’s place.

I didn’t like the thought, but I began to wonder about Mom’s state of mind. I had had more than one foolish call from her in the previous two weeks; calls to ask about the number of her grandchildren, the day of the week, and the age of Bob Barker.

Not to mention the call from her neighbor because Mom had accidentally locked herself out of her home near 9:00 o’clock at night, dressed only in her nightgown and robe. I never got an explanation for that incident, but Mom wore a house key on a chain around her neck– permanently now.

Now Mom was being Arrested, she said. And all that mail! I vowed silently as I drove, that mail would be sorted, trashed and filed before I left Mom’s house today!

Mom met me at the door, less hysterical but still crying and sniffing. “I don’t know why they would want to arrest me,” she cried.

I took the letter, which was actually an over-sized post card, and forced Mom into a chair at the kitchen table where I joined her. A quick scan over the post-card had me laughing despite my vain attempt at a straight-face for Mom’s benefit.

“Mom…” I took her hand. “It’s a summons…for jury duty. In all this mess–” I glanced at the pile of unopened envelopes tossed on the kitchen table, “there is probably a letter for jury duty here somewhere. When you ignored that, they sent a summons. It only states that they may issue a warrant for your arrest if you don’t show up for jury duty.”

Mom clutched her throat. “See, I told you they are going to arrest me!” she sniffed. “When?”

It took much longer than I thought it should have to explain the jury-duty process and what happens if you don’t appear. I don’t think Mom truly understood by the time I had finished. I stuck the notice in my purse and made a note to write the city a long letter of explanation.

Then we found a large plastic trash bin and one large shoe box and tackled the avalanche of paper flooding Mom’s house. I was shocked to find post marks dating back 3 years. She had done a good job separating bills from junk-mail for quite awhile as we only found 1 gas bill that was several months past due.

Once I gave myself permission to clean my Mom’s house, or discuss problems such as the mounting mail, or heaping laundry, or many other little things that occur for the elderly it became easier and easier to discuss more serious issues that came up before she was finally diagnosed and her increasingly odd behavior had a name–Alzheimer’s.

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Filed Under: about Me, Care Tips, What are the Signs and Symptoms, Your Story Tagged With: cognitive decline, confusion, Confusion of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s dementia and Hearing Language

07/0812 Comments

Alzheimer’s/Dementia and Hearing Language

hearin-aidSeveral years before my Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, my brother contacted me about Mom’s hearing language and odd behavior at a family gathering (which I did not attend.)

He conveyed attempts he’d made to have a conversation with her, and how futile it had been. She would talk in circles, having no idea what my brother was saying despite his repeated attempts to make a simple point clear. And her answers were inappropriate and comments didn’t match the conversation in progress.

My mom had worn a hearing aid for many years and both my brother and I agreed that it probably needed testing and perhaps an upgrade. I hadn’t seen any signs of confusion in my own conversations with her, but our topics of interest were pretty much the same all the time, so Mom could easily talk to me with her ears closed.

However, as I thought about it, she had been more intent on facing me as we spoke as of late, yet I assumed most people who wore hearing aids did their fair share of lip-reading and dismissed any thought that mom needed anything more than a new battery for her hearing aid.

Later in the week, I did make a point of checking the batteries in Mom’s hearing-aid only to find that they were properly charged.

Right away, I scheduled an appointment with a specialist for a complete check of Mom’s hearing. Mom never had an issue with doctor’s appointments because that meant lunch at her favorite restaurant afterward. But this day….Mom was hesitant.

During the hearing test that day, I gained quite an insight into Mom’s hesitancy to have her hearing tested at all.

  • I was shocked to learn that Mom was totally deaf and when her old hearing-aid was tested it was totally dead as well. The battery was fine, but the hearing-aid itself was no longer working.  Not a single sound could be heard from that antiquated hearing-aid even with brand new batteries.

When I stood directly behind Mom, where she was unable to read my lips, there was no reaction to my voice at all. She could not hear a word said.

  • I was stunned, remembering that Mom had worn her hearing-aid religiously and touted the benefits of that hearing-aid on a daily basis.

Yet, it had all been a ruse, Mom had to know she was totally deaf, yet she resisted a doctor’s appointment or new hearing aid to bring her back into the “hearing world”. It seemed a complex and confusing proposition to me.

With the assistance of a temporary hearing-aid, Mom was given another test. The hearing specialist spoke 100 words, one at a time, while Mom repeated each word that she actually heard. Mom failed to repeat a single word correctly. Not one word repeated correctly out of 100! And Mom was wearing a hearing-aid that did work!

I later learned that such hearing problems often show up as an inability to understand speech against a background of other conversations, sometimes called the “cocktail party effect.” Amplification with hearing aids does not help this form of auditory defect.

The specialist who worked with Mom said Mom no longer recognized the sounds of consonants at all. As hearing loss progresses, the comprehension to hear and understand consonants and their sounds is the first to be lost. So when a word was repeated, Mom could only guess which “consonant” sound might be used, thus guessing wrongly on all 100 words.

The technician reassured me that a good electronic hearing-aid worn at a recommended sequence, might assist Mom in a return to hearing and the recognition of consonants. But the affirmative message was offered with a warning–some patient’s are deeply opposed to a return to hearing when they’ve learned to adjust in their silent world so well.

I found that hard to believe and never considered that my mother would choose a silent world over her cheerful friendships with other people.

Unfortunately, Mom was one of those in opposition to returning to a “hearing world.”

On the way home the very first day with her brand new all electronic hearing-aid, Mom removed it in the car because my auto air-conditioner’s buzz was deafening to her. A buzz, I might add,  that I had never heard and strained to hear after Mom grudgingly  acknowledged its existence.

Her prescribed schedule was to wear the new hearing-aid 4 hours a day for 3 days a week. And only 2 hours on weekends. Once they became accustom to hearing again, the technician said, they would gradually begin to wear the hearing-aid all the time.

Mom wore it if family was present, because we insisted, but she never wore it when she was alone. She read lips so well that I hadn’t known she was deaf and she continued to function well enough without the hearing-aid that she never wore it in the “Group Home,” where she finally resided.

Though Mom had not been diagnosed at the time of that hearing test, I wonder if the confusion in her answers of the 100 words was from dementia, rather than a lack of hearing consonants as the technician projected.

In a study of 313 patients at least 71 years old, several measures of central auditory processing were impaired in those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and, to a lesser extent, those with memory impairment but not meeting criteria for Alzheimer’s, reported George A. Gates, M.D., of the University of Washington, and colleagues in a recent issue of Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck state that: Central auditory processing is the brain function involved in interpreting complex sounds such as speech “Hearing speech involves detection, recognition, and comprehension, the latter being clearly a cognitive task,” said Dr. Gates.

Another paper from the same group has been accepted by Ear and Hearing for publication this fall, Dr. Gates said. “This leads me to believe that it is the brain effect on hearing that is the major problem in the elderly and wearing a hearing aid does not help,” he said. The study was supported by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the National Institute on aging.

==> So for me, the question still exists? <==

Does Dementia appear first and impair cognitive thinking, or does hearing loss appear first and impair cognitive thinking by the elimination of consonants and thus, cause Dementia. As with the chicken and the egg, we don’t know which comes first.

My brother and I have both discussed this issue and he has determined to have his hearing checked and get a hearing aid since he is having minimal hearing issues. So far, I don’t have hearing issues, but if I do, I believe I will follow his lead and seek hearing aids right away.

Even if Alzheimer’s or Dementia weren’t involved, it broke my heart to see Mom try so hard to wear the new hearing aid. She just couldn’t do it. She’d adjusted to a silent world. If a good hearing aid is sought at the first sign of hearing loss, that can be avoided.

And, I know from my own mother that it was gradual,  many years of ignoring a continuing loss of hearing until she finally existed in a silent world. I’m certain she never realized she would one day be completely deaf.

If you’ve had any experience with hearing loss and symptoms of Dementia, I’d surely like to hear what you think on this issue. Feel free to leave Feedback or Comment!

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Filed Under: EARLY STAGE Tagged With: confusion, hearing, language

Phones Remotes and Microwave Ovens don’t mix with dementia

05/2417 Comments

PHONES REMOTES AND MICROWAVE OVENS

On one particular morning Mom called to complain that her Television would not work. She had long been infatuated with Bob Barker and the Price Is Right. And more recently, TV had become her all-time favorite pastime since it required little interaction.

Mom could no longer watch movies or soap operas or serial television with a continuous story line. By the time a good movie returned from commercial break, Mom had forgotten the story line. So she preferred game shows and comedy hours, no memory of the previous segment before commercial interruption required.

This morning, she was quite upset because I couldn’t fix her television telepathically over the phone-line.

“Well, without being there, Mom,” I explained, “I can’t be sure what the issue is. Is the television turned-on?”

“Yes,” she was perturbed by such a dumb question, “Of course it’s turned-on! If it wasn’t turned-on, I wouldn’t be calling you to fix it.” That made perfect sense.

“Okay, what channel is it on.” I knew Bob Barker filtered through our satellite tower to channel 13 onscreen, and I was fairly certain Mom had inadvertently changed the channel to a number without programming. “Bob Barker comes on Channel 13,” I told her, “Is the television set to channel 13?”

“I know that,” Mom was downright testy. “I don’t know what channel it’s on but I can’t change it. This dumb remote won’t do anything. Maybe the remote is broken and not the TV.” I could hear the remote being slapped soundly against her open palm.

“Mom…don’t break the remote.” No response. “Mom… don’t hit the remote so hard, you’re going to break it.’

“Well, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work. It might as well be broken.”

“Mom,” I urged her, “Let’s try to get back on the correct channel. Just try to tune the remote to channel 13 and tell me what happens?”

Beep…beep…beep….then a horrible screech screamed in my ear. “Mom…don’t hold the remote so near to the phone.” Why was her remote making such a horrible noise, I wondered. “Have you dropped the remote lately, or spilled something on it?”

Mom didn’t answer and I could only imagine what she was trying now. “Mom, there’s another remote,” I just remembered, myself,  “in the top drawer of your desk, there’s another remote. Maybe we should try that one. I don’t think the remote should be making noises like that anyway.” Silence. “Mom, are you there.” Beep…beep…beep….the remote was beeping again.

“Mom…?” Nothing… “MOM? Are you there?…”  More beeping, screeching, and beeping.  “Mom, what are you doing?” My patience was running thin and the beeping was wearing on my nerves. The beeping… in my ear! …

==>>And Suddenly, I knew!<<==

“Mom…” No answer. “Mom!“  I speak louder, and ask about the black television remote with the red buttons. “Mom, what color is that remote?” I’m clearly shouting and she finally hears me.

“What?” she asked, confused. “What do you want to know?” The beeping stopped. “I pushed every button on that thing, nothing, it’s broken. It won’t change the channel or tune the volume, or even turn the TV on and off. Nothing. This remote is just broken!”

“Mom,”  I ask again, “What color is that remote?”

Mom shuffles, pulls the receiver from her ear to check the color, then brings it near again and says, “It’s white.”

“Mom, that is not the television remote.” I swallowed the irritation in my voice, “Mom, that’s the telephone. You are using the telephone; the telephone won’t change channels on the TV. You need to find the television remote, the black remote with red buttons.”

When the confusion cleared, Mom began to laugh, feeling silly as she could be. And finally, So did I.

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The person with Alzheimer’s is often confused by buttons and dials, soon enough they are unable to use a microwave oven or tell the difference between a phone hand-set and a remote for a television set. If they are still able to use the telephone, it might be better to have a phone with large buttons on the desk-set rather than the hand set. Then, it cannot be confused with a smaller device such as a television remote control.

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Filed Under: What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: big button remote, confusion, face button phone, microwave, phones, remote controls

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