Alzheimer’s Disease and Risk Factors

My neighbor lily who is 67 years old was recently admitted in the hospital after she was diagnosed with possible symptoms of Alzheimer. Before her admission in the hospital, her son Andrew complained that her mom had developed behaviors which were unusual and out of character. For instance, Lily often seemed agitated and to have difficulties engaging in conversations since she repeated the same questions throughout the talks. Admission was necessary since she looked frail and walking for her was not possible without supervision which had become distressing to her caregiver. Nevertheless, Lily’s visuals had been affected since she claimed to view objects in three dimensions and she had tough times navigating the stairs. Andrew explained that her mother had sought medical attention three years earlier and placed under a memantine prescription. Since additional steps are necessary before ruling out the diagnosis of Alzheimer; several medical examinations were conducted. However, since there were no possible tests of the disease, tests were done to rule out any infections related to dementia. Besides, a brain scan was performed, and the hippocampus had significantly shrunk which is a symptom of Alzheimer.

Assessment of the Patient

Nutrition. Altered feeding patterns are common in Alzheimer patients and Andrew explained that her mother preferred sweet foods. Additionally, she had significantly lost her appetite over the last few months, and she had difficulties while swallowing food. Lily is Obese, and therefore her past poor eating habits might have significantly contributed to her condition.

Cognitive status. Lily had considerably lost her memory, and she was not very much conversant about what was happening around her. Also, she experienced hallucinations once in a while. Besides, she had completely lost track of time and date.

Weakened Muscle Strength. Lily could no longer support herself. Therefore, she moved around on a wheelchair with the aid of a caregiver.

Summary

Researchers have discovered some health risks which are associated with Alzheimer which can be altered while others cannot. For instance, the risk of Alzheimer increases with age, therefore, in her advanced years, Lily had possible chances of suffering from Alzheimer. From the physical observation of Lily, she is obese which might have been caused by the high cholesterol levels in her blood. Some research conducted linked the increased levels of cholesterol in the body with Alzheimer. If the only Lily had practiced healthy eating habits earlier, she would have significantly reduced her chances of ever suffering from the disease. Having experienced a mild cognitive disorder before her diagnosis of Alzheimer, she had higher chances of suffering from dementia-related diseases. Although she was prescribed with memantine which works best to promote the activities of the brain, maybe it was too late for the medications to be effective. Although she had quit alcohol, Andrew confessed that her mother was once an addict of beer which might have significantly contributed to the disease.

Practicing a healthy lifestyle can be of great help when it comes to reducing the chances of Alzheimer and other related dementias. Brain health can be achieved through engagement in physical exercises and ensuring constant interactions with social networks. Also, health food choices such as eating a balanced meal are essential in minimizing the occurrence of the disease. Challenging one’s minds through new activities such as sports and even learning new languages is ideal.