Senior Issues or Alzheimers?

As we age, we're bound to run into a few senior issues. There are physical problems like arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease and acid reflux. Then there are brain problems like Alzheimers and dementia that affect more than 5 million Americans. Physical ailments may be more fatal and require 3-5 years of treatment, but most mental impairments can span 10 or 20 years. While there is little in the way of prevention and cures for Alzheimers patients, doctors say that Alzheimers education and support groups are the key for coping.

As we age, certain changes take place in our brains, which contribute to our senior issues. When we're 20 years old, we begin to have less synaptic connections (think of these as highway roads in and out of the brain). By the time we're 60, our outer cortex thins as a result of the diminished synaptic activity and decreased neurotransmitter signals. Beginning in our 60s or 70s, our brain mass may also shrink a little (especially in the frontal lobe and hippocampus where new memories are stored). The brain's white matter (or myelin) decreases slightly, affecting the communication between brain cells, speed of cognition, memory and attentiveness. The good news is that certain things do come with age - notably wisdom and problem solving capacity.

By contrast, Alzheimers symptoms occur more often and are much more severe than normal issues of aging. Drastic mood swings that include shouting and crying or confusion, as well as personality changes, typically accompany things like forgetting how to prepare a meal, add numbers together or make a phone call.

Alzheimers patients will substitute words, ask the same questions over and over again and may become lethargic. For the progressive Alzheimers patients, note reminders lose all meaning, they cannot remember things later on and forget entire experiences, and they gradually lose the ability to care for themselves. Symptoms of Alzheimers can lead to a necessity for assisted living as the disease progresses.

If the typical senior issues do progress into Alzheimers symptoms, then there are ways of coping. For caregivers, an Alzheimers support group is a good start at picking up new tactics for dealing with situations and airing out unhealthy emotions, such as frustration or depression. For the Alzheimers patient, drugs like Razadyne or Exelon may help prevent further deterioration. Vitamins E and C have been known to slow the symptoms of Alzheimers and Estrogen therapy can also help protect the brain from further injury.

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