How Do Doctors Make an Alzheimer Diagnosis?

When making an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, doctors would usually refer to the symptoms manifested and base it from there. The only procedure that might pinpoint the cause of Alzheimer’s disease would be a CT scan, and it would only show if the patient has suffered from any brain injury or trauma. If he has not had any injury to the brain, then a CT scan would be of little help.

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible condition that affects the elderly. At this point, I would like to make it clear that Alzheimer’s disease is different from plain, old-age forgetfulness. You will find out why as we go on.

Documenting the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is important since it would indicate the gravity of the patient’s condition. The treatment would then be tailored to the patient’s specific needs. Again, this condition is irreversible. The target of the treatment is only to provide temporary relief from symptoms to prevent it from worsening.

The stages of Alzheimer’s disease, as related to its symptoms, would be the following:

Stage 1: Patient does not seem to exhibit any signs yet. Forgetfulness might be observed, but it would be too mild and too far between to be considered significant. An example would be misplacing minor items like a pair of scissors or a book, etc.

Stage 2: Patient would be able to notice slight memory lapses like grasping for common words or the location of normal, everyday things. Like, for example, his eyeglasses would always be placed on top of his bedside table, but he suddenly forgets where he left them.

Stage 3: At this stage, people in constant contact with the patient would be able to observe certain changes. Patient would have a problem remembering names of people they have just been introduced to. They would also start to misplace valuable objects and documents. They would also be observed to have a certain difficulty in organizing things.

Stage 4: During this stage, the symptoms would now be very obvious. Mood swings would be evident. Patient would be observed to have forgotten recent events and even certain details about one’s history. A great indicator for this stage would be mismanagement of personal finances.

Stage 5: Patients at this stage of the disease would need constant help in performing daily activities. A caregiver might be required to keep an eye on them. The patient would exhibit severe disorientation to times, dates, and places. They would start to forget important details like their own phone number or address.

Stage 6: This would be the stage of severe decline. Patient would need assistance in almost everything including using the toilet. They would be exhibiting delusions and hallucinations. They would also start to forget the names of the people around them but would still recognize their faces. Sundowning syndrome would be observed.

Stage 7: At this stage, the patient is totally dependent on his caregivers. He would not be able to perform anything on his own including eating and swallowing. They take on a blank expression for they would have already lost their ability to even smile.

Alzheimer’s disease is a heartbreaking condition, not just for the patient, but for his immediate family, too. They would all have to learn about the disease and its intricacies in order to understand why the patient is acting the way he is.