Why You Need to Find Out If It's Alzheimer's

As we age, we sometimes encounter difficulties doing things that once were easy. For example, notice how romping around the schoolyard is a snap for youngsters? Remember those days? Care to try that sort of activity today?

If you did try, you might find that, besides people wondering what in the world you were doing, you would also stand a pretty good chance of hurting yourself. And, if you didn't hurt yourself right then, right there, just wait until the next morning when you have to get out of bed!

Other difficulties we might encounter as we age include memory loss and changes in mood and behavior, only in these situations, it is extremely important to seek professional help in diagnosing the root cause.

Dementia is a decline in intellectual capabilities severe enough to interfere with a person's ability to function normally on a daily basis. This loss of functionality dramatically impacts how a person carries out their daily routine and if the impairment was bad enough, they would not be able to take care of themselves and would need assistance.

It should notbe assumed that persons experiencing bouts of dementia are in the onset stages of Alzheimer's disease. In fact, dementias can be caused by a multitude of things like depression or thyroid problems or drug interactions and may be reversible if detected early.

There are plenty of other causes of dementia too like strokes, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease to name a few but, we should be prepared to face the possibility of an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis since Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia. Because of this, it is important to correctly identify the cause of the dementia so that the individual, be it you or your family member - or a friend, for that matter, can receive appropriate care.

Although Alzheimer's disease has been diagnosed in people in their 40's and 50's, this "early onset" form of the disease is much less common than that found in older people. Still, early diagnosis is important, regardless of age, because it allows for more time to maximize quality of life as well as make decisions about care, living arrangements, financial and legal issues and other planning concerns for both the individual and their family.

The diagnostic process for Alzheimer's disease generally takes more than one day and often includes going to more than one location. There is no one, single diagnostic test such as a blood test or an x-ray. The diagnosis is developed over a period of time by using the results of a variety of tests which include a complete physical and neurological exam, a psychiatric assessment and a full laboratory workup.

Actually, there is no certainty in the diagnosis. Although doctors today can be certain 80-90% of the time, the fact is, the diagnosis is made more on the basis of the process of elimination - what is NOT causing the problem - rather than an "ah-hah" moment from some sort of special test or exam result.

Diagnostic Steps:

As mentioned, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is more a matter of eliminating other possibilities. First, there would be an interview, both with family members and then individually. Although not directly involved with eliminating possibilities, the interview is more a function of "filling in the background." It simply gives care professionals a picture of the family medical history and how the afflicted person may be performing on a daily basis.

Then, you start moving into the actual testing phase of the diagnosis. There would be a physical exam where the physician would look at the things you would expect - blood pressure, pulse, nutrition, height and weight etc. but they should also be looking for symptoms of problems with the liver or kidneys or thyroid, for example, because some of these types of conditions can cause dementia-like symptoms.

The laboratory tests are really where a lot of the action is. Because dementia-like symptoms can be caused by so many other things, our modern medicine uses chemistry in a big way to help sort out many of these possibilities. For example, thyroid hormone can be easily measured in a simple blood test and we know that very high or low amounts of the hormone can bring on confusion and dementia. And, of course, they also will check for anemia, infection, diabetes and kidney and liver disorders.

But laboratory tests are not all about chemistry. Many of the modern diagnostic techniques used today are more the result of physics rather than chemistry because they involve things like brain waves, x-rays and magnetic resonance. What I'm referring to are tests such as the EEG or Electroencephalogram which is used to look for unusual brain wave activity. Epilepsy can sometimes be detected using an EEG so, since we know epilepsy can cause periods of confusion, we should be looking for signs. If there are none, perhaps we can eliminate that as a potential cause.

The tests go on from there. Doctors will often order a CT scan which takes x-ray images of the brain. Again, this is more for the process of elimination rather than finding conclusive evidence since what the doctors are looking for are signs of things like tumors or blood clots.

There could be other tests as well. For example, some physicians might use MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging - to take another look at the brain. There are other more experimental techniques too. Many researchers are now actively engaged in using things like PET and SPECT (Positron Emission Tomography and Single Proton Emission Computerized Tomography) but these techniques tend to have more to do with research than diagnosis.

After all of the tests have been concluded, the physician, together with other members of the diagnostic team, will review the data and make a diagnosis.

Since there is no one single smoking gun in the Alzheimer's diagnosis, the clinical diagnosis will most probably state something like "probable Alzheimer's disease" or "dementia of the Alzheimer's type." Sometimes when the diagnosis is not quite so crystal-clear, the diagnosis might be something like "possible Alzheimer's disease."

Once the diagnosis has been made, it is important that all of those concerned begin the process (if they haven't already done so) of educating themselves as to what to expect. This process can include looking for answers to such difficult questions as:

What does the diagnosis mean?

What symptoms can be anticipated and how will they change over time?

What medical treatment is available?

What level of care will be required now and in the future?

What changes should be made to make the home safer?

Are experimental drug trials available?

The main problem is that Alzheimer's disease is not currently preventable nor curable. Modern science, technology and medicine are working hard to develop solutions but we are not there yet. In the final analysis, this is why it is important to get an early and accurate diagnosis: So that the time you have left, whether it be you or a loved one who is afflicted, will be of the highest quality possible.