The repercussions of Alzheimer’s disease (a form of dementia) on the affected person and those around them are enormous. It is therefore necessary to recognize the first signs in order to organize appropriate treatment.
- Alzheimer’s disease is a dementia that affects 1.2 million people in France and 23% of people aged over 80. It generally appears between the ages of 65 and 80.
- This neurodegenerative disease causes a loss of memory and certain intellectual (cognitive) functions. Early diagnosis allows appropriate care to maintain a good quality of life for the patient and the family.
- Signs should alert the patient but especially those around him, such as a change in behavior and/or personality, loss of recognition of objects or people, language disorders, difficulties in carrying out everyday tasks, loss of orientation in space and time…
THE September 21 is World Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia Day. It raises awareness among the population about this disease and reminds people of the importance of making a diagnosis as early as possible. Indeed, an early diagnosis makes it possible to anticipate the consequences of this dementia and maintain the best quality of life for the patient and those around them for as long as possible.
Alzheimer’s: warning signs to watch out for
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease (that is to say which affects the central nervous system whose cells then end up dying) which leads to a loss of memory and certain intellectual (cognitive) functions.
Faced with the disastrous consequences of this pathology, the Ministry of Health reminds us of the signs that should alert :
-A change in behavior and/or personality
-Loss of objects
-Forgetting recent events
-Loss of recognition of objects or people (agnosia)
-Language disorders (aphasia) such as forgetting common words or using one word in place of another
-Difficulty performing daily tasks (apraxia)
-Loss of orientation in space and time
-The inability to adapt one’s behavior to a context, with impaired judgment and difficulty in carrying out abstract reasoning
-A loss of motivation.
But be careful, memory loss is not always a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, none of these signs are specific to this dementia. They just need to alert you. Only your doctor will be able to confirm the diagnosis and will refer the person and the family to a specialist consultation.
Alzheimer’s: an increasingly present disease
You should know that dementia (whatever the type) affects more than 55 million people worldwide according toWHO. And every year there are more than 10 million new cases.
Alzheimer’s disease is a special type. And its risk of appearance increases between the ages of 65 and 80. It affects 1.2 million people in France, concerns more women than men and 23% of people aged over 80.
It is an important cause of death but also of disability and dependency in the elderly, and although there is no curative treatment to date, it is necessary to detect Alzheimer’s disease early for better care of the patient but also of the family. Let us therefore be vigilant, especially since a study published in 2022 in The Lancetconfirms that cases of dementia are expected to double by 2050.
