How Does Alzheimer's Kill You?

Just a side note: I didn’t pick the title of this post. It was typed in by you guys searching for it in Google. Instead of “kill you” I would have put “cause death.” Don’t mean to offend anyone.

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? Alzheimer’s nose picking…does that cause it? There is little evidence that nose picking directly causes Alzheimer’s disease. Well, that myth is dispelled.

So, what is Alzheimers’s? It is a brain disorder that causes gradual decline in memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily tasks.

I can relate to Alzheimer’s because of Parkinson’s. Slowly but surely, I’m loosing my cognitive abilities. I usually have a lot of brain fog.

I’m forgetting how to spell simple words. My typing of these posts has slowed down. I’m having trouble forming sentences. I get easily distracted.

Does that mean I’ll have Alzheimer’s in the future…don’t know. But I’m a good candidate because my mother had dementia.

Why Does Alzheimer’s Disease Kill You?

Alzheimer’s disease can lead to death from a number of complications, including:

Aspiration Pneumonia

This is the most common cause of death for people with Alzheimer’s. It occurs when someone with Alzheimer’s inhales food, liquid, or gastric fluids into their lungs.

This can happen because of difficulty swallowing, which is a common symptom of Alzheimer’s.

Pneumonia is often fatal for people with Alzheimer’s because their immune systems are impaired.

Dehydration and Malnutrition

As the disease progresses, brain function declines, which can make it difficult to eat and drink. This can lead to weight loss, dehydration, and malnutrition.

Infections

People with Alzheimer’s have a weakened immune system, making them more likely to get infections that can last a long time.

Falls

Mobility problems can lead to falls, which can cause serious injuries or infections in the elderly. I know with Parkinson’s, I’ve had close calls with falling.

For some reason it’s especially in the shower and also going down stairs.

How Does Alzheimer’s Kill the Brain?

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? Time to get a little technical so you know a little about what happens to the brain during the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease kills brain cells by disrupting the function of brain proteins, which leads to a series of events that damage and kill neurons:

Protein buildup: Even so, abnormal proteins build up and form plaques and tangles in the brain.
Damaged neurons: The buildup of proteins disrupts the function of neurons, causing them to lose connections with other neurons and die.
Brain shrinkage: However, as neurons die, brain regions shrink, a process called brain atrophy.
Loss of brain volume: Significant cell death results in a loss of brain volume.

The damage from Alzheimer’s disease initially appears in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, which are important for memory.

Hence, as the disease progresses, more parts of the brain are affected, and the person gradually loses the ability to think, remember, make decisions, and function independently.

The exact causes of Alzheimer’s disease are not fully understood. However, scientists believe that toxic changes in the brain begin a decade or more before symptoms appear.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

To diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, a medical professional will consider a number of factors, including:

Cognitive impairment: A person with Alzheimer’s disease will experience a decline in one or more cognitive functions, such as memory or problem solving, that is greater than expected for their age and education.
Progressive decline:A doctor will look for evidence of a progressive decline in cognitive function over time.
Other symptoms: Other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include confusion with time or location, difficulty with language, and changes in mood or personality.
Exclusion of other causes: A doctor will rule out other possible causes of cognitive decline, such as medications, depression, or major life changes.
Brain scans: Brain scans, such as CT, MRI, or PET, can help support an Alzheimer’s diagnosis or rule out other causes.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests: CSF tests can measure the levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Neuropsychological tests: Furthermore, Neuropsychological tests can provide confirmation of evidence of a dementia diagnosis.

Cognoscopy

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? Cognoscopy can find out. A cognoscopy is is a series of tests that can help determine your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive decline.

Overall, the term was coined by Dr. Dale Bredesen, who is an expert in the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

A cognoscopy typically includes: Blood tests, Genetic tests, Mental status exams, and An MRI to measure brain volume.

A cognoscopy can help identify which of the 36 possible causes of AD you may have, and how to address them. It can also help you optimize your overall health.

Dr. Bredesen recommends that people 45 and older get a cognoscopy, especially if a close relative has developed AD.

Stages of Alzheimer’s Diseases

What are the 3 stages of Alzheimer’s disease?

Early-stage Alzheimer’s (mild)

Common difficulties include:

Coming up with the right word or name.
Remembering names when introduced to new people.
Having difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings.
Forgetting material that was just read.
Losing or misplacing a valuable object.
Experiencing increased trouble with planning or organizing.

Middle-stage Alzheimer’s (moderate)

Symptoms, which vary from person to person, may include:

Being forgetful of events or personal history.
Feeling moody or withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations.
Being unable to recall information about themselves like their address or telephone number, and the high school or college they attended.
In addition, experiencing confusion about where they are or what day it is.
Requiring help choosing proper clothing for the season or the occasion.
Having trouble controlling their bladder and bowels.
Experiencing changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping during the day and becoming restless at night.
Showing an increased tendency to wander and become lost.
In brief, demonstrating personality and behavioral changes, including suspiciousness and delusions or compulsive, repetitive behavior like hand-wringing or tissue shredding.

Late-stage Alzheimer’s (severe)

At this stage, individuals may:

Require around-the-clock assistance with daily personal care.
Lose awareness of recent experiences as well as of their surroundings.
Experience changes in physical abilities, including walking, sitting and, eventually, swallowing
Have difficulty communicating.
Become vulnerable to infections, especially pneumonia.

Why do Alzheimer’s Patients Hold Their Head Down?

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? In the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, patients may lose the ability to hold their head up due to a decline in physical abilities.

As the disease progresses, the brain can no longer successfully communicate with the body.

Markedly, other physical changes that may occur include: Difficulty walking without assistance, Difficulty sitting without support, Loss of ability to smile, Loss of ability to swallow, and Loss of bladder and bowel control.

How Long Before Alzheimer’s is Fatal?

The average life expectancy for someone with Alzheimer’s disease is between 3 and 11 years after diagnosis, but it can vary widely. Some people live as long as 20 years or more.

Factors that can affect life expectancy include:

Age: Particularly, life expectancy decreases with age.
Degree of impairment: The degree of impairment at diagnosis can affect life expectancy.
Vascular risk factors: Untreated vascular risk factors such as hypertension are associated with a faster rate of progression.
Other diseases: Comorbid diseases can affect life expectancy.

Likewise, other factors that can affect life expectancy include race, genetics, health background, socioeconomic status, and education.

Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and ultimately fatal.

Notwithstanding, the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease progress slowly over several years, and the rate at which the symptoms progress is different for each person.

Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are treatments that can help with symptoms and support the person living with the disease.

Treatments Include:

Medicines: These can help with cognitive changes and memory symptoms. Some common medicines include:
- Cholinesterase inhibitors: In any event, these drugs increase acetylcholine levels in the brain, which can help with memory and thinking. Examples include donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), and rivastigmine (Exelon). These drugs are usually the first to be tried and can help with behavior symptoms like agitation or depression.
- Memantine (Namenda): Nonetheless, this drug works by blocking the effects of glutamate, a chemical in the brain that can be excessive in Alzheimer’s. It can help slow the progression of symptoms in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s.
- Immunotherapy drugs: These drugs target beta-amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brain in Alzheimer’s. Lecanemab and donanemab are FDA-approved drugs for early-stage Alzheimer’s.
Support: Likewise, other types of support can help people with Alzheimer’s live independently. This can include:
- Making changes to the home environment to make it easier to move around and remember tasks
- Psychological treatments like cognitive stimulation therapy to help with memory, problem solving, and language
- Important to realize, caregivers can help by allowing the person to maintain as much control as possible, respecting their personal space, and building quiet times into the day

New Alzheimer’s Treatment

Some new Alzheimer’s treatments include:

Lecanemab

In particular, this adaptive immune therapyy is administered intravenously every two weeks to treat mild Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment.

It’s sold under the brand name Leqembi. The FDA approved lecanemab in 2023. It can help slow the decline in thinking skills and memory.

In sum, side effects include headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, and changes in heart rate.

Donanemab

scrabble tiles with a ribbon on purple surface — Photo by Alesia Kozik on Pexels.com

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? Slow it down with Donanemab.

This disease-modifying immunotherapy is administered intravenously every four weeks to treat mild Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment.

Therefore, it can help reduce the number of plaques in the brain. Side effects include headache, nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, confusion, dizziness, vision changes, and seizures.

Focused Ultrasound Therapy

Straightaway, this non-invasive treatment uses ultrasonic energy beams to target specific areas of the brain without damaging surrounding tissue.

Living with Alzheimer’s

I’m in the early stages of mental decline with Parkinson’s disease. So, I can relate to someone going through early stages of Alzheimer’s.

I don’t want to accept it or there will be some miracle that the disease will magically go away. It will not go away and I have to think and prepare for my future.

The same with Alzheimer’s when you’re first diagnosed with the disease. How are you going to be cared for and so forth.

Whether you’re cared for by family or caregiver’s in the beginning. Then in later stages, will you might need to go into a nursing home. It’s sad, it’s preparing for your death.

Sum It All Up

How does Alzheimer’s kill you? Yes, unfortunately it can. How do you sum up Alzheimer’s in a few sentences. It’s such a drastic, life altering disease, like Parkinson’s.

Hence, you just have to deal with the fact that life isn’t going to end the way you hoped it would. Life is going to end on a different note.

A note that you play over and over in your mind. Why does such a good life have to end this way? No matter how much adversity you have overcome, it has to end like this.

So, I was deep in thought. If you’re in the early stages, live the life you’ve always wanted because you never know when a disease could take that away. Peace and always, love. Until next time…

lovely elderly couple — Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.com

Articles About Alzheimer’s

-UTMB researchers develop breakthrough Alzheimer’s treatment

https://www.utmb.edu/utmb/news-article/utmb-news/2024/07/03/utmb-researchers-develop-breakthrough-alzheimer’s-treatment#:~:text=July%203%2C%202024%20%E2%80%A2%2012%3A00%20a.m.&text=A%20team%20of%20UTMB%20scientists,dementia%2C%20reports%20The%20Daily%20News.

–Types of Alzheimer’s Disease

https://www.news-medical.net/health/Types-of-Alzheimers-Disease.aspx

Treatments for Alzheimer’s-

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments

Have a Good One,

Cindee Murphy
“One Voice For The End Of Alz”

“Most Alzheimer’s sufferers aren’t diagnosed until their 70s. However, we now know that their brains began deteriorating long before that.”
-Michael Greger

“If you don’t have imagination, you stop being human; animals don’t have imagination; Alzheimer’s is the death of imagination.”-Devdutt Pattanaik

“Suffering is always hard to quantify – especially when the pain is caused by as cruel a disease as Alzheimer’s. Most illnesses attack the body; Alzheimer’s destroys the mind – and in the process, annihilates the very self.”-Jeffrey Kluger

“With Alzheimer’s patients, you have to be very careful what you say when you’re looking at them over their bed. Because once in a while, they understand it.”-Nancy Reagan

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