September 2020 will mark the 9th World Alzheimer's Month. The campaign was launched in 2012. World Alzheimer's Day is on 21 September each year.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate and die.

Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that disrupts a person's ability to function independently.

The early signs of the disease may be forgetting recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, a person with Alzheimer's disease will develop severe memory impairment and lose the ability to carry out everyday tasks.

There is no treatment that cures Alzheimer's disease or alters the disease process in the brain. In advanced stages of the disease, complications from severe loss of brain function such as dehydration, malnutrition or infection resulting in death.

Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer's disease. An early sign of the disease is usually difficulty remembering recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, memory impairments worsen and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease persists and worsens, affecting the ability to function at work or at home.

People with Alzheimer's may:

Repeat statements and questions over and over

Forget conversations, appointments or events, and not remember them later

Routinely misplace possessions, often putting them in illogical locations Get lost in familiar places

Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects Have trouble finding the right words to identify objects and express thoughts.

Alzheimer's disease causes difficulty concentrating and thinking, especially about abstract concepts such as numbers.

Multitasking is especially difficult, and it may be challenging to manage finances, balance checkbooks and pay bills on time. The reasoning power diminishes and there is a change in personality like depression, Apathy Social withdrawal, Mood swings Distrust in others, Irritability and aggressiveness, Changes in sleeping habits, Wandering, Loss of inhibitions and Delusions.

As no cure exists, medication and management strategies focus temporarily improvement of symptoms.

The symbolism of Alzheimer's is the color purple and an elephant. ... The elephant is a symbol because that is the only animal that will never forget anything. The Alzheimer's Association has a vision that humans will never deal with such disease and have a memory of an elephant.

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