The 7 seven stages of Alzheimer’s disease

Calling out your colleague by the wrong name, misplacing your car keys, or forgetting to buy the butter at the grocery store are common memory lapse. But with age, forgetfulness occurs more often and it’s easy to begin questioning whether the frequency or the magnitude of the information is normal. In the elderly, more often than not it is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Alzheimer’s disease refers to the loss of cognitive functioning and a progressive neurological disorder that causes the brain to shrink and the brain cells to die. It is one of the most common cause of dementia in humans. Dementia is a continuous decline in thinking, social and behavioural skills that affect the persons’ ability to function independently. Knowing the signs of Alzheimer’s, the symptoms of each stage can help you provide care and assistance to someone suffering from the disease. Care Hospital, one of the best hospital for neurology in Raipur, has often stressed on raising awareness about the disease and bursting the myths around this disorder. 

For a better understanding and knowledge, let’s take a look at the 7 stages of Alzheimer’s. Although, before we dive into the stages, it is important to understand that each patient is different and may be affected by varied symptoms. These stages are a mere guideline and should not be acted up on without consulting with the doctor. 

Stage 1: Before symptoms appear

Just as in the case of other diseases, the changes in the brain due to Alzheimer’s start way before the symptoms become noticeable. This time period is known as pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease and begins over 10-15 years before the patient show symptoms. As the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age, it is essential to keep up with regular check-ups and screenings to catch the earliest signs of the disease. Visit Care Hospital, the best hospital in Raipur for the best treatment and assessment of your condition.

Stage 2: Basic forgetfulness

It is common to forget a few things here and there, and can occur to an individual at any age. In most cases, the early stages of Alzheimer’s can be mistaken to be common forgetfulness. Memory lapses such as forgetting names or important dates become frequent.

Stage 3: Obvious memory difficulties

When the memory difficulties become severe, it becomes a bit hard to blame the age for these. This is the stage at which most people get diagnosed as their daily routine starts getting disrupted. Some of the common difficulties here include challenges in social set ups or at work, difficulty in remembering recently read material, plans or organizing stuff. The patient may become anxious and even go to the extent of denying that anything is wrong. 

Stage 4: More than memory loss

Damage to the brain surpasses the memory and affects other aspects of cognition such as language, calculations and organization. This stage can last for many years and the patients might be confused about what day or date it is, where they are, face the risk of wandering off, changes in sleep pattern and difficulty in choosing the appropriate clothing for the weather condition. 

Stage 5: Decreased independence

At this stage, the patient can no longer live alone without someone paying close attention to their needs and requirements. At this stage, they might face issues remembering significant people in their life, such as friends and family. They may struggle with basic tasks and in learning new things. Hallucinations, paranoia and delusions are common emotional changes at this stage. 

Stage 6: Severe symptoms

The patient becomes more dependent on the caregiver. Communication also becomes a problem. They may still be able to use words and sentences, but communicating thoughts and ideas may be challenging. Personality changes such as increased hallucinations, anxiety, and paranoia continue to develop further. 

Stage 7: Lack of physical control

Alzheimer’s destroys the brain cells and can ultimately lead to severe mental and physical impairment. As the patients mind struggles to communicate and delegate tasks, their body might begin to shut down. Their needs significantly increase at this stage and they require round the clock assistance. With reduced mobility, the body also becomes susceptible to infections and diseases.