What makes alzheimers fatal

However, Alzheimer's is more than occasional memory loss. It's a disease that causes brain cells to malfunction and ultimately die. When this happens, an individual may forget the name of a longtime friend or what roads to take to return to a home they've lived in for decades.

It can be difficult to tell normal memory problems from memory problems that should be a cause for concern. The Alzheimer's Association has developed information to help you tell the difference.

If you or someone you know has memory problems or other problems with thinking and learning that concern you, contact a physician. Sometimes the problems are caused by medication side effects, vitamin deficiencies or other conditions and can be reversed with treatment. The memory and thinking problems may also be caused by another type of dementia. Reality: Alzheimer's disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions.

It slowly and painfully takes away a person's identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home. Health Topics. Health Tools. Alzheimer's Disease. Reviewed: December 13, Read 53 Comments. Related Articles.

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These feelings are normal, but not talking to a physician will only allow symptoms to get worse. During this stage — which can last for many years — your loved one will experience major difficulties with memory.

They may still remember significant details about their life, such as who they are married to or what state they live in. Their memory of the distant past will usually be significantly better than their memory of day-to-day information, such as what they saw on the news or a conversation from earlier in the day. Until now, your loved one may have been able to live on their own with no significant challenges.

You may have dropped in to check on them every so often, but for the most part, they were able to function without your regular assistance.

In this stage, your loved one will likely have trouble remembering people that are important to them, such as close family and friends. They may struggle with learning new things, and basic tasks like getting dressed might be too much for them.