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Alzheimer's Disease
February 23, 2009 |
The area of the brain responsible for forming new memories is usually the first
to be affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. But it’s still a mystery to doctors as to
why this is happening.
Dr. Michael Raab is a Geriatrician with Lee Memorial Health System. He says, “We
don’t know what’s attacking that area of the brain. We just know that when we see
the damage there they have problems with their memory.” In a normal brain when people
forget things it’s usually because they weren’t paying attention in the first place.
But it’s certainly important to pay attention to any warning signs of Alzheimer’s
Disease. “Trying to keep track of things with respect to time can be something that’s lost early. So if you are having an event planned and you have trouble judging how long it’s going to take the drive there and doing that type of sophisticated or
detailed planning,” says Dr. Raab.
Dr. Raab adds that you may not be able to see the signs yourself, so you may have
to depend on others. He says, “You have to listen to your significant other and
see if they notice a change. The disease takes away your memory so if you can’t
remember, then
you’re going to forget that you even knew it, so you won’t know that
you should have remembered. So it’s hard for the person themself.”
To help keep your brain healthy, Dr. Raab recommends developing good lifestyle habits
such as exercise, a healthy diet and simply enjoying life. |
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