All of us have experienced some form of memory problems — be it forgetting someone’s name, forgetting where we’ve kept some important items, or even forgetting important phone numbers.
And these seemingly common problems can worsen as we get older, in some cases resulting in Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association annual report, nearly 5 million people in the US suffer from Alzheimer’s, and this number is expected to rise to 13 million by 2050. The fear of suffering from this progressive brain disorder can also lead to a number of myths surrounding the illness. One of the most common beliefs is that all memory problems are indicative of Alzheimer’s.
How true is this claim? Let’s find out.
Understanding Memory Loss and Dementia in Older Adults
Memory loss is often considered a general term that is also linked to dementia. But there’s more to this disease than most of us know.
Dementia impacts your reasoning, discernment, and how you speak and analyze things and situations. These are activities that one does quickly and almost automatically, but with dementia, handling these everyday situations can become extremely difficult.
Dementia can slow down thinking, recall, and reasoning. People with dementia also have to deal with a decline in problem-solving skills that can lead to further behavioral challenges like delusions, increased agitation, and even hallucinations.
This condition progresses over time and, unfortunately, is an irreversible condition.
Types of Dementia
1. Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the gradual deterioration of memory, comprehension, dialect, perception, reasoning, and awareness. This, more often than not, can also make it challenging to communicate with someone who has Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s disease is a serious illness that primarily affects the memory and is often perceived as constantly forgetting, misplacing, and losing things. People with Alzheimer’s can even get lost and are at high risk of potentially harming themselves.
2. Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)
Lewy body dementia starts can affect someone early as 50 years of age, and it is diagnosed more in men.
Commonly known as dementia with Lewy bodies, this illness is caused by the irregular buildup of proteins transitioning into masses called Lewy bodies.
LBD is also often mistaken for Parkinson’s disease because of some common symptoms such as motor skill difficulties including rigid muscles, slowed movement, and tremors that can significantly increase your risk of falling.
Visual hallucinations, cognitive problems, difficulties in sleeping, fluctuating attention, and apathy are some common indicators of LBD. Since it is progressive, this kind of dementia can further lead to more severe dementia and aggressiveness.
3. Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a condition where your brain’s frontal and temporal anterior lobes shrink. Initially referred to as Pick’s disease, FTD stands out as it follows two specific clinical patterns.
The first one is an apparent change in behavior like having outbursts, changes in preferences, tactfulness, neglect of personal hygiene, and blunted emotions.
The second pattern is disturbances in languages where you struggle with understanding and speaking.
4. Multi-Infarct Dementia (MID)
More commonly referred to as Vascular Dementia, it is triggered by a series of undetected strokes.
Where the brain cannot get its supply of oxygen due to irregular blood flow, in a matter of seconds, the brain cells die. This can cause severe damage like dementia, mainly if the strokes are silent ones that do not show any symptoms.
MID is more common in men between 55 and 75 years old.
Do Memory Problems Always Point to Alzheimer’s?
Everyone experiences trouble remembering things at some point in their lives, like forgetting names or getting confused about where you left something. These are normal human experiences, and you bounce back and know exactly what you need to do after a few seconds.
People with Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, experience these problems more persistently. This disease is a severe memory problem and one that can’t be cured.
Mild or short-term forgetfulness happens to everyone, young or old, male or female. And with a good lifestyle, proper sleeping habits, and taking care of your overall physical wellness can help keep your brain healthy and alert.
Alzheimer’s is a complicated illness that can result from a number of different factors, including ignoring early symptoms such as forgetfulness. Without proper consultation with a doctor and the right medication, Alzheimer’s can progress at a much more rapid pace.
So, while having memory problems may not directly be indicative of Alzheimer’s, it should still be considered a sign if the memory lapses are longer and more frequent.
Factors that Affect Memory Problems
1. Age
Aging plays a major role and is a specific factor that contributes to memory loss. With age, your body undergoes various changes, and your brain is not exempted from getting old.
But, Alzheimer’s is more common in individuals above 65 years of age, there are cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s that can affect younger people between 30 and 50 years of age.
2. Medical Conditions
There are several pre-existing medical conditions that can exacerbate Alzheimer’s, such
as:
● Abnormal growth, clotting of the blood, or brain infections
● Alcoholism
● Bipolar disorder
● Dissociative disorder
● Electroconvulsive therapy
● Head injury or impact caused by any accident
● Lack of adequate oxygen supply to the brain
● Schizophrenia
● Seizures
● Disorders in the liver, thyroid, or kidney
● Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
3. Emotional Stress
Stress, fear, and feeling down for weeks or depression can cause memory disorders like forgetfulness and disorientation and can be associated with dementia.
These feelings may be temporary, and when healing happens, the forgetfulness and lack of attention will also get better. However, these symptoms can also be signs of a more severe underlying problem like Alzheimer’s.
In Conclusion
If you are feeling overwhelmed and are unsure whether your memory problem is a sign of Alzheimer’s, the first step is to get a medical exam immediately. Your doctor will probably conduct a memory loss test along with a complete physical examination to make sure there are no vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
Numerous medical problems that can lead to memory loss can be treated if detected ahead of time. So, obtaining a diagnosis is the first, most crucial step. Apart from this, having a healthy lifestyle, ensuring good sleep habits, and exercising regularly can also go a long way in preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s.
