“I think they did every test imaginable on my husband to make sure he wasn’t suffering from something other than Alzheimer’s. At 45, you want to make sure.”
In truth, you want to make sure at any age. The likelihood of developing the disease increases with age, but so does the likelihood of developing other disorders that could be causing similar symptoms, many of which are treatable and some reversible. It is important never to assume that it is Alzheimers without first checking all other possibilities.
In the past few decades, the disease has gone from under- to over- diagnosis. It is not uncommon for health care professionals as well as family members to see the typical symptoms and decide that assessment is unnecessary.
Although the only certain way to confirm Alzheimers is by brain autopsy after death, there is an array of tests that can be done to eliminate other causes, helping to narrow the diagnosis down.
The progression of disease is unique to each case, but there are some characteristics that are similar in most that can be used to divide development into two stages.
| The first stage is commonly 2 to 4 years in length and can include the following: - memory loss
- confusion and disorientation
- speech and language disturbance
- impaired judgment
- difficulty with familiar tasks
- personality/mood changes
- self-neglect
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| In the second stage, all of the above will get progressively worse and may also be accompanied by the following: - wandering, pacing and general restlessness
- behavioural problems
- physical signs motor activity that was retained in the early stages may begin to decline, commonly involving the progressive loss of finger and hand co-ordination so that buttoning a shirt or tying a shoelace becomes problematic. Muscle twitching occasionally occurs, as do problems with balance.
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03/06/2009