The Diagnosis of Alzheimers Disease Not as Easy as it Sounds?


Alzheimers disease diagnosis is not a single-step process. On the contrary, it involves many different types of tests and procedures to diagnose properly. This is due to the fact that Alzheimers disease is very similar in symptoms to other forms of dementia. Much of what constitutes Alzheimers disease diagnosis is eliminating other possible diseases.

Early-onset Alzheimers disease is somewhat different than most types of Alzheimers. It strikes at a much younger age and is generally more easily diagnosed. It is also more common to see this type of Alzheimers disease strike many individuals in one family, further increasing the ability of doctors to diagnose it.

Delays in the Diagnosis of Alzheimers Disease (Late Onset)

Shockingly, the diagnosis of Alzheimers disease is often delayed as much as three years after the symptoms of the disease begin to affect the patient. Part of this delay in diagnosis may be due to the stigma that is involved with this disease which can discourage individuals to get tested when they first notice symptoms. Another factor in this situation is that Alzheimers (especially late-onset Alzheimers) can be difficult to diagnose quickly since it presents symptoms of many other disease-states. Many of these tests focus on eliminating other possible causes of the patients symptoms rather than testing specifically for Alzheimers disease.

The delays in the diagnosis of Alzheimers disease is unfortunate; the earlier that the disease is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. While Alzheimers disease is not curable, there are therapies that can help delay its progression.

Tests for Alzheimers

The tests for Alzheimers (or to help eliminate Alzheimers as a possibility) are quite varied. Some of the most common tests are general physical exams and mental state exams. The doctor will also generally want to know the patients medical history and that of their close relatives.

Chest X-rays may be ordered by the doctor as well. This will not prove Alzheimers disease, but it can eliminate other possible causes of symptoms. That is also true of other tests the doctor may run including CAT scans, MRIs, ECG, or EEG scans. The basic idea behind all of these tests is to eliminate other possible causes for symptoms so that a diagnosis of Alzheimers disease, if made, will be accurate. Other causes of Alzheimers disease-like symptoms include brain tumors, stroke, depression, dementia, and many other disorders.

The diagnosis of Alzheimers disease can only be absolutely certain after a person has passed away; however the probable cause of symptoms as Alzheimers disease can be determined in living patients.

Alzheimer Medications

Right after an Alzheimers patient's death is when the caregiver is going to need the most support.

It is also very useful in allowing medical personnel to get prior information about a patients unique medical problem which is very useful in pre-hospitalization care. Then during Alzheimers disease end stage a person will be unable to do anything by themselves and thus need constant supervision. Since there is no cure for Alzheimers the current Alzheimer treatment plan, incorporates a drug protocol that is used to try and stabilize the symptoms.

The third stage is when other people begin to notice the changes in a persons memory or abilities.
Alzheimers death is the end result of this stage. A person will also lose their ability to walk, sit up, smile and hold their head up. During this stage little symptoms begin to show. Becoming confused about where a person is, or what they were suppose to be doing is one of the early signs of Alzheimers disease.

However, they also offer to enhance care and available support for those who are currently being impacted by this disease.
As the disease progresses, the need to give more attention to the patient increases, and care giving then becomes a lot more demanding. This is because the patient's behavior will have declined so greatly. Laboratory tests are standard when diagnosing many illnesses. Having the support of others dealing with the same problem is known to be one of the most effective ways of dealing with this disease. Larry Sparks, who is the head of Roberts Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease Research in Sun City, Arizona.