Could Your Unorganized Room Be a Sign of Young-Onset Alzheimer’s? Here’s What You Need to Know

Do you know the Korean movie “A Moment to Remember”? This film features a young Alzheimer’s patient in her twenties. Although Alzheimer’s disease is typically known to occur primarily in people over 60, there’s been an increase in younger people suffering from it. Similar to cancer, if Alzheimer’s occurs at a young age, the symptoms progress rapidly. Moreover, there’s currently no definitive way to prevent it, making it a disease that requires attention.

Young-onset Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is a representative degenerative chronic brain disease that causes difficulties in conducting daily life independently due to not only memory loss but also impairments in executive and language abilities. Young-onset Alzheimer’s refers to the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms before the age of 65, regardless of the cause of the disease, and it’s also called “early-onset Alzheimer’s.”

What’s the exact cause?

Young-onset Alzheimer’s has various causes, such as genetic factors, trauma, infections, addiction, and vascular problems. Although genetic factors are presumed to be a major cause of Young-onset Alzheimer’s, the exact cause is unknown. Experts also say that lifestyle habits and health issues significantly influence the disease.

Difference from Late-Onset Alzheimer’s

If you develop Alzheimer’s at a young age, the symptoms can be slightly different from those of late-onset Alzheimer’s. You may suddenly lose weight, become depressed, and have difficulty sleeping. You may also start to behave carelessly, experience memory loss, and undergo personality changes. You may have trouble recalling words you want to say and forget actions. These symptoms also appear.

Various Types of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is divided into several types depending on the affected areas. If the frontal and temporal lobes are impaired, symptoms similar to Young-onset Alzheimer’s appear. It’s similar to Young-onset Alzheimer’s, but family history is prioritized, and it’s characterized by not being accompanied by depression. Vascular dementia, which occurs due to problems in the brain vessels, is caused by bad habits such as drinking.

Increasing Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Patients Every Year

According to the Central Dementia Center, the number of Alzheimer’s patients in their 40s and 50s has almost quadrupled compared to a decade ago. This results from becoming accustomed to digital devices and reducing outdoor activities. Since late-onset Alzheimer’s occurs due to the accumulation of nerve degeneration from a young age, it’s necessary to pay attention to Alzheimer’s from your thirties.

Difficult to Diagnose at a Young Age

It’s difficult to think that you have Alzheimer’s at a young age, and many people often ignore or dismiss the symptoms as temporary memory lapses. Initially, forgetfulness becomes severe, and memory and calculation abilities gradually slow down. As Alzheimer’s symptoms become more pronounced, the condition worsens.

Self-Test for Young-Onset Alzheimer’s

Read the questions below and score them as “0 points for not at all, 1 point for sometimes, 2 points for often.” If the total score is over 6, you may need to suspect Young-onset Alzheimer’s. You don’t know what month or day it is today / You can’t find items you’ve placed / You repeat the same questions or statements / You go to get something and just come back / You can’t remember the names of items or words / You can’t understand or focus on the conversation / You feel or often hear that your personality has changed / It’s hard to choose and wear clothes by yourself / Your room is not well organized.

The Most Important Factor – Sleep

Experts emphasize that the biggest reason for the onset of Alzheimer’s is sleep time. When we fall asleep, our brain clears out the waste that has accumulated during the day. During sleep, cerebrospinal fluid cleans the brain between cells. However, if sleep deprivation accumulates, this cleaning does not occur properly, causing “beta-amyloid,” a component causing Alzheimer’s, to continuously build up in the brain, leading to Alzheimer’s.

Is Medication Effective?

Medication is the basic treatment for Alzheimer’s, improving cognitive function and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s. Depression is a factor that impairs cognitive function, so it’s good to avoid situations where extreme mood swings occur. Once Alzheimer’s occurs, you can delay its progression, but it’s incurable. Therefore, you should actively get early examinations to prevent the disease from progressing further.

Prevention Methods That Are Hard to Practice Despite Knowing Them

Drinking excessively or smoking is prohibited, and if cognitive impairment occurs due to mental disorders such as depression, you should receive treatment in time to prevent it from becoming chronic. Also, it’s good to exercise consistently for about 30 minutes thrice weekly according to your physical strength. From a young age, you should manage your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels and be cautious, as people with high blood pressure or obesity have a 1.6 times higher risk of Alzheimer’s.

By. Shin Young Jeon