What is the difference between forgetfulness and Alzheimer's disease, their symptoms, and how to differentiate between them? Forgetfulness is a problem that can be remembered later, while Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disease that leads to damage to parts of the brain responsible for memory, thinking, and speech. We will learn the difference between them in detail in the rest of the article.
What is forgetfulness
Forgetfulness is a temporary, occasional problem that can be remembered later. It can occur at a young age, but not necessarily at an advanced age, when memory stops storing this information and the state of forgetfulness sets in.
What is Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disease that causes the death of nerve cells in the brain, leading to brain atrophy and damage. It significantly impacts the ability to perform daily tasks and then progresses to the point where a person loses the ability to interact and speak.
Symptoms of forgetfulness and Alzheimer's
Symptoms of forgetfulness appear as follows:
- Loss of personal belongings.
- Forgetting special days.
- Forgetting a door key.
- Not remembering the names of people you meet.
- Forgetting food on the stove.
- Forgetting words during a conversation.
- Common symptoms of Alzheimer's include:
- Difficulty walking, speaking, or swallowing in the advanced stages.
- Changes in behavior and actions.
- Depression.
- Apathy.
What are the types of forgetfulness?
Not all forgetfulness is Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Forgetfulness can be caused by disorders other than Alzheimer's and dementia. Types of forgetfulness include:
- Dementia, which is a gradual decline in mental skills and the inability to perform daily activities.
- Alzheimer's, which is a disease that destroys a person's cognitive abilities in old age.
Causes of forgetfulness
There are some factors that cause forgetfulness, including internal and external factors, such as:
- Thyroid hormone disorders.
- Memory being preoccupied with unnecessary information.
- Parkinson's disease, which damages the nervous system.
- Head trauma, which can cause memory loss.
- Exposure to stress, depression, and anxiety.
- Excessive exposure to technological devices.
- Vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency.
- Unhealthy diet.
- Folic acid deficiency.
- Drug abuse.
What are the causes of Alzheimer's disease
There is no specific cause for Alzheimer's disease, but there are factors that increase the risk of developing it:
- Being 65 years of age or older.
- A family history of Alzheimer's disease.
- Genetic mutations increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
How do we differentiate between forgetfulness and Alzheimer's disease
Not all forgetfulness is Alzheimer's disease. Forgetfulness is a temporary condition, while Alzheimer's is defined as damage to parts of the brain that process memory and speech, and is much more serious than forgetfulness.
Alzheimer's Disease Treatments
There is no specific medication or treatment for Alzheimer's disease, but there are some treatments prescribed by the treating physician to alleviate the symptoms of memory loss, such as donepezil and rivastigmine.
Prescribing antidepressants, sleep medications, and behavioral medications, such as antipsychotics such as Leponex and Haloperol.
How to Treat Forgetfulness
First, it is necessary to determine the cause of forgetfulness to determine the appropriate treatment, as its treatment is very important in advanced stages. Some nutritional supplements can be taken under the supervision of the treating physician if the cause of forgetfulness is a deficiency in certain vitamins.
A neurologist may prescribe some psychiatric medications if the cause of forgetfulness is psychological conditions, and they will recommend effective methods to strengthen memory and maintain concentration.
Methods to Strengthen Memory
There are some methods that can help strengthen memory, including:
- Improving and strengthening social and human relationships.
- Supplementing the body with missing vitamins and minerals.
- Drinking sufficient amounts of water.
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet.
- Exercising.
- Reading books.
Is frequent forgetfulness a sign of Alzheimer's disease
Yes, as short-term memory loss is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, the patient may experience forgetfulness, and this may manifest in behaviors such as:
- Forgetting the names of family members.
- Repeatedly forgetting appointments or conversations.
- Difficulty using the correct words in conversations.
Diagnosing Forgetfulness and Alzheimer's Disease
The treating physician performs mental status tests to assess memory and thinking skills to diagnose forgetfulness and Alzheimer's disease. He or she may also perform an MRI, which uses powerful radio waves to capture a detailed image of the brain.
To learn more about mental functions, the treating physician performs a CT scan to obtain cross-sectional images of the brain.
Summary of the Difference Between Forgetfulness and Alzheimer's
Episodic forgetfulness is a temporary, occasional problem that can be recalled later. Memory stops storing this information, and the state of forgetfulness begins.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disease that causes damage to the parts of the brain responsible for memory, thinking, and speech, and affects the performance of daily tasks.