About complications:

Complications of Alzheimer's Disease are secondary conditions, symptoms, or other disorders

that are caused by Alzheimer's Disease. In many cases the distinction between symptoms of
Alzheimer's Disease and complications of Alzheimer's Disease is unclear or arbitrary.

A person with Alzheimer's disease can experience the following complications:

 Falls (from impaired coordination)

 "Sundowning" (withdrawal or agitation in the evening)
 Malnutrition and dehydration
 Infection (from urinary tract infections or pneumonia)
 Asphyxiation (stopped breathing)
 Harmful or violent behavior toward self or others
 Suicide
 Poor health and support due to caregiver burnout
 Physical and emotional abuse, including neglect
 Coronary disease

There is no known cure for Alzheimer's disease; the disease naturally progresses and worsens
over time. People with the disease can survive for many years, however. While most people with
Alzheimer's die within 8 to 10 years, some live as long as 25 years. Some people decline steadily
during their disease, while others reach major plateaus where their symptoms advance quite
slowly. Men and people with a long-standing history of high blood pressure are more likely to
decline rapidly. Additionally, the older a person with Alzheimer's disease becomes, the more
likely he or she is to decline rapidly. An accurate, early diagnosis gives affected individuals a
greater chance of benefiting from existing treatments.
Signs and symptoms
Onset is insidious. Initially, the patient undergoes almost imperceptible changes, such as
forgetfulness, recent memory loss, difficulty learning and remembering new information,
deterioration in personal hygiene and appearance, and an inability to concentrate. Gradually,
tasks that require abstract thinking and activities that require judgment become more difficult.
Progressive difficulty in communication and severe deterioration in memory, language, and
motor function result in a loss of coordination and an inability to write or speak. Personality
changes (restlessness, irritability) and nocturnal awakenings are common.

Patients also exhibit loss of eye contact, a fearful look, wringing of the hands, and other signs of
anxiety. When a patient with Alzheimer’s disease is overwhelmed with anxiety, he becomes
dysfunctional, acutely confused, agitated, compulsive, or fearful.

Eventually, the patient becomes disoriented, and emotional lability and physical and intellectual
disability progress. The patient becomes susceptible to infection and accidents. Usually, death
results from infection.