Diagnosis And Mis-diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

These days we read more and more about the increasing number of Alzheimer’s patients. At the same time we find a growing number of tidings about mis-diagnosis.

There are two types of mis-diagnosis:

• people with Alzheimers misdiagnosed with another disease and
• people with another condition misdiagnosed as Alzheimers.

In this article we will discuss the second one.

The Danger of Mis-diagnosis

There are a couple of treatments against the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.

In a couple of situations they only reduce the effects of changes in the brain for a limited period. If these medications are used, while no Alzheimer’s is concerned, it could result in an undesirable effect.

A well treatable condition in that case can persist and possibly worsen.

It is therefore important that a proper diagnosis is made.

The early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease can be missed easily because they resemble natural signs of aging, such as forgetfulness and loss of concentration.

It is certainly useful to get familiar with a number of other conditions, which may be looked for Alzheimer’s.

Other Diseases Sometimes Misdiagnosed As Alzheimer’s Disease

A picture of the brain can help the doctor to analyze if anything does not look normal. He also has to use information from the medical history and perform some tests to rule out other possible causes of the person’s Alzheimers disease-like symptoms.

Examples:

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
• Dementia With Lewy Bodies
• Depression
• Huntington’s Disease
• Multi-Infarct Dementia
• Myoclonus
• Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
• Thyroid problems
• Drug reactions
• Brain tumors
• Blood vessel disease

Some of these other conditions can be treated.

Similar symptoms can result from fatigue, grief, illness, vision or hearing loss, the use of alcohol or certain medications, or simply the burden of too many details to remember at once.

Differences And Similarities Between Alzheimer’s And Dementia

Sometimes people use the words “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s” as if they are synonyms. Unfortunately this is not right.

Dementia is a collective noun for a number of different diseases all leading to cognitive decline. One of these disorders is Alzheimer’s Disease. There is no doubt the majority of dementia is Alzheimer’s.

Other Causes Of Dementia or Memory Loss

Other dementia like symptoms include causes as:

Causes of Emotional or Relational Sources
Some older people can suffer from emotional inconvenience. They have a hard time to deal with their increasing age and its consequences. Maybe they did lose one or more friends, brothers and or sisters or their spouse. Besides the grief for that, it can cause them feeling lonely. Maybe they are worried about their future.

All these emotions may have its influence on their memory. Finding relief and new goals for their life’s may result in disappearing of the symptoms. The best is if family or friends to assist them to find a solution. Professional help is of course the alternative.

Aging (if very mild symptoms),
Like the rest of your body loses its vitality with increasing age, the same goes for your brain.

Besides that, we collect so much information during whole life. It is no wonder we sometimes cannot find the proper information at the right moment.
Serious memory loss is: if we frequently don’t remember important things even if someone else tells us about it.

The story behind chelation therapy helps us to give it some credit; its invention was not for a greedy cause. EDTA was first synthesized in Germany in the 1930s. A few years later, it was used successfully in the treatment of a group American workers suffering from lead poisoning. After that successful experience, some physicians such as Clarke and Mosher proceeded to use EDTA to treat some of their patients who had atherosclerosis; the result was satisfying. Nowadays, chelation is used as an alternative medicine in almost 25 different medical conditions.

Does chelation therapy works?

Very often, I am asked if chelation therapy really works. My answer is always simple, “yes, but for not everyone”. Some users notice no change in their health in using chelation therapy; although it is rare. In fact, it is not only for chelation therapy; no medication works for everyone.

Through the years, several medical studies have shown that exposure or poisoned by heavy metals can cause serious health problems. Your body cannot metabolize those substances; they accumulate in certain organs in your body and cause degenerative effects on your health. For example, lead poisoning may contribute to the development of hypertension. Scientists also believe that heavy metal concentrations in the blood can be the root of autism, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. That is, chelation therapy can not only treat but also prevent many degenerative diseases that develop asymptomatically in your body.

How chelation therapy works?

Chelation is a process by which an organic substance (chelating agent) binds to minerals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, iron, calcium, copper, etc. The complex resulted, becoming stable and non-toxic, can be easily eliminated in urine and fecal matter. This means, it is important during chelation therapy to drink plenty of fluids to help the detoxification process. Neglect to do so, is as if you put a food in a microwave, and do not press the start bottom. You should drink lot of fluids during any cleansing or detoxifying program. In addition, a diet consisting of fruits and green vegetables is also recommended. In addition, you should exercise; it increases your blood movement and heartbeat (in a good way), which helps perspiration and increases the elimination.

You should know, however, that not all chelation therapy products promoted out there are the same; their efficiency differs from a manufacturer to another. Chelatioformula.com brings you a list of the top chelating products that folks all over the world have used for more than a decade. For details, visit chelationformula, or click on the link in the resource box below.

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Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is one form of dementia that gradually gets worse over time. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.

Memory impairment, as well as problems with language, decision-making ability, judgment, and personality, are necessary features for the diagnosis.

Alternative Names

Senile dementia – Alzheimer’s type (SDAT); SDAT

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Age and family history are risk factors for AD.

• As you get older, yoru risk of developing AD goes up. However, developing Alzheimer’s disease is not a part of normal aging.
• Having a close blood relative, such as a brother, sister, or parent who developed AD increases your risk.
• Having certain combination of genes for proteins that appear to be abnormal in Alzheimer’s disease also increases your risk.

Other risk factors that are not as well proven include:

• Longstanding high blood pressure
• History of head trauma
• Female gender

There are two types of AD — early onset and late onset.

• In early onset AD, symptoms first appear before age 60. Early onset AD is much less common than late onset. However, it tends to progress rapidly. Early onset disease can run in families. Several genes have been identified.
• Late onset AD, the most common form of the disease, develops in people age 60 and older. Late onset AD may run in some families, but the role of genes is less clear.

The cause of AD is not entirely known, but is thought to include both genetic and environmental factors. A diagnosis of AD is made when certain symptoms are present, and by making sure other causes of dementia are not present.

The only way to know for certain that someone has AD is to examine a sample of their brain tissue after death. The following changes are more common in the brain tissue of people with AD:

• “Neurofibrillary tangles” (twisted fragments of protein within nerve cells that clog up the cell)
• “Neuritic plaques” (abnormal clusters of dead and dying nerve cells, other brain cells, and protein)
• “Senile plaques” (areas where products of dying nerve cells have accumulated around protein).

When nerve cells (neurons) are destroyed, there is a decrease in the chemicals that help nerve cells send messages to one another (called neurotransmitters). As a result, areas of the brain that normally work together become disconnected.

The buildup of aluminum, lead, mercury, and other substances in the brain is no longer believed to be a cause of AD.

PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST

If one of your loved ones has Alzheimer’s, one of the most important ways of coping is learning to take care of yourself. There are different stages or Alzheimer’s and each stage is progressively more limiting. This makes each new stage more demanding for the loved ones. When Alzheimer’s strikes someone you love, it can become all consuming. Realize that Alzheimer’s is a marathon, not a sprint. It is important not to let the disease take over every corner of your life. It is okay to put yourself first.

Many family members experience a lot of guilt. Replacing the feelings of guilt with the commitment to take care of your needs and wants can make it easier to handle all of the problems that Alzheimer’s brings. Everyone who loves the person with Alzheimer’s experiences loss, which increases as the disease progresses. Develop a support network early on. You will need to know where you can turn for the help you will need. When others offer help-take it!

The loss is especially acute for the primary family caregiver. If you are a family caregiver, you need to plan regular respite for yourself. Your need for support is considerable. Whether you get respite from family and friends or from professionals (All For You Home Care), coping with Alzheimer’s means making sure that you get regular “time away”.

Throughout the Sacramento region there are support groups where family members affected by Alzheimer’s can come together. Many find such groups very comforting. Here they can listen to others, gain pragmatic ideas, get information, share their own pain and frustrations, cry, and even laugh. Others find it helpful to seek professional counseling with a therapist or doctor. There are also different on-line groups where people can get help and support.

COMMUNICATION

To cope with Alzheimer’s it is essential to learn techniques for better communication. Following are tips that have helped others communicate with their loved one who has Alzheimer’s. It is important to remember that no matter what you do, communication with someone with Alzheimer’s will always be difficult.

Ask one question at a time
If you ask more than one question at a time, you will only confuse the matter for the person with Alzheimer’s. This will make it less likely for them to be able to answer your question.

Be careful not to interrupt
When you interrupt a person with Alzheimer’s it makes it more difficult for them to complete a thought.

Be patient
A person with Alzheimer’s may take a long time to respond to your question or thought. Be patient and remember that they are doing the best that they can.

Call your loved one by their name
One of the first things we learn in life is our name. When you want anyone’s attention it is best to use their name, but with someone with Alzheimer’s it is particularly important.

Do not argue
It is difficult not to argue with the person with Alzheimer’s because many of the things they are likely to say make no sense to most of us. It can be difficult not to respond in what seems like a reasonable and rational manner. It is important to remember that the disease that has captured their brain distorts their view of things. You cannot argue them into reality. You will only make things more unpleasant.

Encourage pointing
Pointing or gesturing is often an easier and more effective form of communication for someone with Alzheimer’s. Do not limit communication to the use of words.

Have their attention before speaking
The person with Alzheimer’s may not be attending to you. Before you speak, get their attention.

Listen as long as they are struggling to speak
When the person with Alzheimer’s is struggling to say something, you will need to listen as long as it takes for them to express themselves. When they are struggling with this task, it can seem like a very long time.

Listen carefully for the meaning behind the words
Frequently the person with Alzheimer’s may use the wrong words. Rather than responding to the exact words, attend to what they are trying to communicate.

Pronounce words carefully
Often we get very casual with how we pronounce words because most people are able to understand us even when we are not careful with the precise pronunciation. For the person with Alzheimer’s it is important to be precise in how you speak.

Speak at eye level
Making eye contact can make sure that you have their attention. You can only do this when you are facing them and it is easiest if you are at the same level eye to eye.

Stay calm
Speaking in a hurried or loud voice makes it more difficult for the person with Alzheimer’s to respond appropriately. If you speak in an intense manner, the person with Alzheimer’s may become agitated and escalate the situation.

Talk slowly
When you speak quickly, it is hard to sort out the specific words you are saying. Much like when someone is trying to learn a foreign language, they are more likely to understand if the words are spoken slowly.

Try to read facial expressions
Struggling to express thoughts through words is difficult for the person with Alzheimer’s, yet they are likely to make facial expressions associated with what they are attempting to say. This is especially true when what they are trying to say is something they feel strongly about.

Use simple words
When you are trying to communicate with someone with Alzheimer’s it works a lot better to use short, simple words. Using words with one syllable is best.

When you don’t understand, guess. Guessing is a way of prompting and this can help the person with Alzheimer’s find the right words.

INDEPENDENCE

Independence is an important value for all of us. It is something that none of us would give up willingly. The loss of independence is a tragedy for those suffering with Alzheimer’s.

Early in the course of Alzheimer’s, the disease may be difficult to diagnose. At this stage, the person with the disease is still capable of exercising judgment and decision-making in most situations. They may have only minor disabilities and need little help to be safe. At this point, thinking about taking away their independence is likely to build mistrust. It is important to support the person with Alzheimer’s desire to be independent for as long as possible. There is one exception to this approach. In the case of driving the risk is high and the danger so extreme, that the person with Alzheimer’s should stop driving when they are first diagnosed with the disease.

SAFETY

At some point, the judgment of a person with Alzheimer’s will become compromised. They will become increasingly dependent on others to make decisions on their behalf. The time period when safety becomes an issue varies. Alzheimer’s is a physical disease that attacks the brain and effects personality, behavior and mood. The person with Alzheimer’s develops problematic behavior and troubling personality changes. Even small changes and transitions become very difficult. Now is the time when you will have to consider the living situation of your loved one for the first time.

There is no cookie cutter answer for how to cope with this period of life. Making the decision more complicated is knowing that change is incredibly difficult for the person afflicted. Can a professional caregiver come into the home and care for both the loved one with Alzheimer’s as well as the spouse? Would this be easier for them because of the difficulty of dealing with changes? Should the desire to stay home be considered? Can your loved one live with another family member? Would your loved one do better in an elder care facility? What role should cost play? How much money is available for care? At this stage people with Alzheimer’s cannot make decisions for themselves, and the family needs to begin making these tough decisions. This is a difficult time full of difficult choices.

ALL FOR YOU HOME CARE

All For You Home Care takes care of many people who have Alzheimer’s disease. We keep the older person as independent as possible for as long as possible. Professional caregivers come into their homes and provide supervision, housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, mind stimulation, personal attention and social support. We also provide support for the entire family. Knowing that your loved one is safe and cared for is an effective way of coping with Alzheimer’s disease.

All For You Home Care is located in Sacramento California, serving all surrounding areas. Visit http://www.allforyouhomecare.com.

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“Recent national and international imaging studies on the brains of people aged 65 and older show that 95 per cent have brain small vessel disease seen as white spots and patches on magnetic resonance images,” says Dr. Sandra Black, director of the Brain Sciences Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute at the University of Toronto.

These studies also show that a quarter of healthy senior volunteers, average age 70, living in the community, have evidence of small silent strokes. Even in younger people (average age 60), this number may be as high as 14 per cent, according to preliminary results of the Canadian PURE MIND study, presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress in Ottawa, where Dr. Black addressed more than 900 researchers and clinicians.

“Microbleeds, another type of small vessel disease, are associated with high blood pressure and with Alzheimer’s disease,” she says. Unlike major stroke events, these types of small vessel disease gradually build up and increase the risk of clinical stroke events, depression, falls and Alzheimer’s dementia.

“Alzheimer’s and small vessel disease often live together in the brains of the elderly in a way that is very disabling,” says Dr. Black. “People become depressed, off balance when walking, have trouble thinking and often cannot live on their own. Unfortunately, so far there is no cure for either disease but there are actions we can all take to delay onset or progression.”

The time is now for the brain to be the top priority for Canada’s health research community, says Dr. Black. In the next 20 years the number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is expected to reach more than one million in Canada alone, increasing ten-fold the current health care costs of$15 billion/year, she says.

“Stroke is adding to the increasing incidence of dementia: 65 per cent of stroke patients experience difficulty with thinking, memory, goal setting and motivation after a stroke and 20 to 30 per cent become clinically demented within three months post-stroke,” says Dr. Black.

Research for a cure is being actively pursued but, in the meantime, there are important counter measures people can take to delay and prevent these devastating diseases. This is because stroke and Alzheimer’s share the same vascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and a lifestyle of physical inactivity.

“It turns out protecting the blood vessels in your heart and body also helps to protect your brain and its blood vessels. This can delay the onset of dementia,” says Dr. Black.”For example, regular aerobic exercise throughout the lifespan can help delay the onset of late life dementia, even more so in people who may be genetically prone to dementia.”

“Researchers from all fields are going to need to work together,” says Dr. Antoine Hakim, CEO and Scientific Director of the Canadian Stroke Network

“Lifestyle choices will have the biggest impact in protecting the hearts and brains of our aging population,” says Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Michael Hill.

Theo Luider and colleagues explain that more than 26 million people worldwide already have AD, and the numbers are rising with the graying of the population. Doctors can prescribe any of several drugs to slow the disease’s advance. But it is important to start treatment as early as possible. Unfortunately, however, no test exists to diagnose patients before obvious memory loss and other symptoms appear. Luider’s team decided to look for proteins in the blood that might be used in such a test.

They looked for those proteins in blood samples of 86 people aged 60-90 who participated in a larger study of aged-related brain changes conducted in The Netherlands. Surprisingly, Luider’s group found that significant elevations in pregnancy zone protein (PZP) occurred in women an average of 4 years before diagnosis of AD. Scientists long have known that PZP levels rise during pregnancy, but this was the first link with AD. Luider further discovered the apparent source of the PZP in the brain of these women, who were not pregnant: PZP was being produced in senile plaques, degenerated areas of the brain associated with AD.

The following are five specific tips for lowering your stress and keeping your sanity while caring for your loved one with Alzheimer’s:

1) GET HELP!

This is the number one recommendation I have. Recognize that you can’t do it alone. Whether you are single or married, with children at home or out of the home, whether or not you have siblings living in the area, no matter what your circumstances–you HAVE to have HELP.

There are many support groups and organizations available to assist you. The main Alzheimer’s site is one of the best resources you’ll find. You can locate local help within or close to you by entering your zip code on their site. It is also worthwhile to check churches and hospitals in your area for support groups.

In addition to needing emotional support, you also need physical help.

As you know, a patient with dementia or Alzheimer’s cannot be left alone. They need 24 hour care and supervision as the disease progresses. Unfortunately, at least in our American society, care giving usually falls on the shoulders of the women in the family. Even if there are other siblings in the area, the woman who may not have a full-time outside job, will probably be delegated to “step up to the plate.”

I encourage you to not allow that to happen. If the siblings can’t help by physically being there, hire someone who can and let the siblings share in the cost. You should be there when it doesn’t take away from caring for the rest of your family–husband, children (including maintaining a good relationship with your adult children) and grandchildren. You also need to care for yourself. If you get exhausted and “burned out”, you won’t be any good to you, your family or your loved one suffering with Alzheimer’s/dementia.

Maybe it would be easier for your loved one to live with you. It may be logistically easier for them to live with you than making trips back and forth but that doesn’t mean you are the one that needs to be with them 24/7. Whether you work outside the home or not, you have to have some time away for yourself. You may need to go to a library to read a book, shopping or lunch with friends or whatever you enjoy. And don’t forget, you still need vacations!

You have to have some time to replenish yourself physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially…in EVERY area of your life. You can’t just live a life of work and care-taking.

It will be natural for you to feel guilty because you can’t do or be there for them more. And maybe your family and friends are exacerbating that guilt. You have to fight that tendency to feel guilty! No one knows what you’re going through and the toll it’s taking on you unless they’ve been through it themselves.

A support group should be able help you deal with those negative feelings or perhaps you should talk to a pastor or counselor if needed.

2) DON’T BOTHER TO CORRECT YOUR LOVED ONE!

They won’t remember what you said and can’t learn.

I compare a patient with progressive Alzheimer’s or dementia to being like a two or three year old but that they can’t learn…no matter how many times you tell them.

For an example, they’ll say something like, “I want to wear the pink dress.” Your impulse is to say that they wore the pink dress yesterday or to explain that it’s at the cleaners but that probably won’t register with them. It’s better to try and change the subject and get them distracted with something else.

Otherwise, they’ll keep saying the same thing and you will only get more and more frustrated.

If all else fails, just say “ok” and go about doing something else.

However, another tip is that, unless it’s harmful to them, let them have what they want. You may be embarrassed if they wear the same thing two days in a row but, it’s easier to get over what others will think than to fight with your loved one. This is truly where the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff” can definitely be applied.

Know going into this that they will be constantly repeating themselves. Recognizing that is what will help you the most. You may hear 6 times in a 10 minute period, “When are we going to have lunch?” when they just ate an hour ago. My best advice is to just say “soon” and then try and distract them with something that they might be interested in like an old family photo or magazine picture.

3) THEY MAY REMEMBER THINGS FROM THEIR CHILDHOOD BUT NOT YOUR NAME

I had one Alzheimer’s patient who could give me directions driving to her childhood home (which didn’t even exist any more; a university now sat on the land) but she couldn’t remember her best friends name.

Remember that if your loved one doesn’t remember your name or special memories you shared, it has nothing to do with you but only the disease.

I know it’s easier said than done but try not to take it any more personally than if they had no legs and couldn’t walk to you. Alzheimer’s cripples the mind every bit as much as not having legs cripples the body. Fortunately, prosthetic legs can help the legless person but, so far, there is no such mental prosthetic for dementia.

4) FOCUS ON WHAT THEY CAN DO, LIKE AND REMEMBER

As I mentioned above, the loved one with Alzheimer’s/dementia may remember things from their childhood but not your name. Let them talk about those things that they do remember. Get them to tell you about their family growing up, where they lived, their childhood friends…whatever they can remember. It’s been my experience that they really enjoy that.

Another positive thing to do is to go through old family albums. The older the better. See if they can tell you anything about the people in the photos and you can also share your memories of those people.

I have also found that many people I’ve cared for enjoy watching movies with children and/or pets. The more progressed the disease, the less likely they’ll be able to follow a movie plot but they usually love seeing children and animals.

Many patients also love music. I’ll often sing with or to my clients songs that my grandmother taught me or songs that were popular when they were a child or young adult.

The one, and maybe the only, positive thing about a loved one losing their memory is that you can go over the same photos, movies, songs, etc., again and again and it’ll be like they’ve seen or heard it for the first time. It will be a lot harder on you than it will be on them.

5) TRY AND KEEP THE ROUTINE AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE

Change is hard on dementia/Alzheimer’s patients. They do much better with consistency.

For care-giving, try and use the same person as much as possible. Since the loved one needs 24/7 care it may not be possible to have just one person outside of the family be there to offer relief to you and your family. However, neither do you want to have a constant stream of new people coming in. Try and keep it to the same two or three care-givers outside the family if possible, if you’re just looking to relieve the primary care-givers.

I had one client that my organization, The Friends Agency, was responsible for covering 24/7 for two to three years. As I wanted to keep as much consistency as possible, I spent the majority of time there myself and was relieved by the same three or four workers most of the rest of the time.

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 15 million family members, friends and neighbors are currently providing 17 billion hours of care annually to Alzheimer’s patients.Caregivers pay a high price. Their experience significantly increases their emotional stress, jeopardizes their physical and mental health, and can negatively impact their employment and finances.

Alzheimer’s patients, especially those in the mid and late stages, require around the clock care and no one can do that alone.

If you’re the primary caregiver of an Alzheimer’s loved one it’s important to ask for help for two reasons. First, simply to preserve your own well-being, and second, because you can’t provide good care for your loved one if you’re exhausted all the time.

Many caregivers are reluctant to ask for help. They often feel they should be able to do it all and they don’t want to impose upon others. The fact of the matter, however, is that most people are happy to help you, they just don’t know what to do.

The first step in getting help is for you to sit down and figure out what tasks other people could do that would be helpful to you. As simple as this sounds sometimes it’s not easy to determine what specific help we need.

A good way to start is to create a written list of some of the chores, errands or other things you are currently doing that could potentially be done by someone else. Then you can assign names of possible helpers to each task. After that contact each person on the list and simply ask if they would be willing to do that particular task.

Here are 10 examples of very specific ways friends and family members can help you out:

1. Do the laundry
2. Help clean the house
3. Cook a meal
4. Mow the lawn
5. Make minor home repairs
6. Pick up the patient’s medicines from the pharmacy
7. Take your loved one to a doctor’s appointment or other appointments
8. Take your loved one out for a drive
9. Come over for coffee and just be there for you as you talk about your feelings
10. Most important, look after your loved one for a few hours so you can have some time to yourself

So the next time someone says, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” have a specific request ready for them. You might be surprised at the positive responses you’ll get.

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