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As a child, I loved to cook. After my parents gave me an American Girl cookbook for Christmas one year, cooking quickly became a favorite hobby of mine. By the time I was ten, I was able to cook a few favorite meals for my family—and a whole lot of baked goods.
As fun as it was for me, I think the cookbook was a gift my mom grew to regret. I may have been a good cook, but I was a messy one, too. I would leave flour scattered across the floor, stain my clothes, and always managed to break a plate or a glass.
Not a lot has changed in the time since. I’m great with food prep, but I always manage to trash my kitchen in the process. My walls are perpetually splattered with tomato sauce or bacon grease, and most of my t-shirts are littered with stains. Neatness simply isn’t my strong suit, to say the least.

I have, however, been working on this fault of mine. I eventually realized that my failure to clean as I go (and my propensity for being excessively messy) was creating extra work for me. I was spending way, way too much time trying to make up for the disasters I’d created while cooking a simple dinner. Cleaning may not be my strongest skill, but I’m learning from some fellow moms, and a few experts cleaners, that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

If the same messes and stains are continually getting to you, there might be a hack to make your life simpler. Need help, say, getting smells out of tupperware or scraping baked-on food from the microwave? Check out these genius hacks before throwing in the towel.

First, don’t throw that GladWare away.

I have to admit, I’ve thrown away an embarrassing amount of tupperware simply because they stunk—they stinky things were forgotten in the back of the fridge or left in a lunch bag over the weekend. But it turns out stained and smelly containers don’t have to be tossed.

“Baking soda, ammonia, vinegar, and bleach are the four things you need to pretty much clean anything,” says Judy Woodward Bates—an author, speaker, and TV personality known as the Bargainomics Lady—who struggles with stinky tupperware no more. “Make a paste of baking soda and water and rub [it] onto stained plasticware, and let it stand for a few minutes before scrubbing and rinsing.”

A Non-Toxic Approach to Microwave Messes

Many people opt to avoid cleaning products in their microwave because of the fumes they can create if any cleaning product is left behind. But without the help of products, cleaning a microwave can be totally tedious, especially with all that food baked on.
This trick from Jeanne Eschenberg Sager, mother and self-professed “queen of doing as little as possible,” uses natural ingredients to get stubborn messes out of the inside of her microwave.

“Fill a cup with a mixture of water and lemon juice,” she instructs. “Pop it in the microwave and let it ‘cook’ for a minute. It will loosen all the baked on gunk … in the microwave, so you don’t have to scrub at all. You can just wipe it right down!”

Don’t Despair Over Drink Spills

Nearly every time I host a dinner party or family get together, some dark beverage ends up all over my living room floor. There’s no need to rearrange furniture to cover up these stains. Home designer and creator of a machine-washable rug Lorena Canals has a few genius stain-removing hacks up her sleeve.

For fruit-based juices, she advises starting with quickly soaking up as much of the spill as you can to avoid it soaking into the fibers of the carpet. Avoid scrubbing. Then, mix half a cup of hydrogen peroxide, half a cup of water, and one teaspoon of dish soap together to create a stain fighting solution.
“Using a clean sponge or cloth towel, gently blot this mixture onto the carpet … ,” she says. “Using a clean, dry, white cloth towel, gently blot … .”
Repeat the last two steps until the stain is completely gone.

Coffee is another drink that can cause stubborn stains when spilled on rugs and carpet. Canals recommends beginning by drying the spilled coffee with a dry, white towel. Then, mix a fourth cup of vinegar with a quart of warm water. Spritz the mixture on the stain, rinse, and repeat until the stain is gone.

Rescue Your Favorite Coffee Mug

When you have three kids in four years like I did, coffee becomes the beverage of choice. Unfortunately, I often neglect my favorite mug overnight, and I’ve even left it in the car over the weekend.

But see, I’ve found a couple different hacks that are perfect for dealing with stubborn tea or coffee stains. My first method of attack is a paste made from lemon juice and baking soda. I scrub it on, wipe it off, and rinse the cups clean.
If there is still a ring or stain in the cup, I fill the cup past the stain with undiluted vinegar, leave it overnight, and rinse it clean in the morning.

Set Yourself Free From Fingerprints

Stainless steel faucets are really hard to get—and keep—clean in most kitchens. Even after a good scrub, they start to show fingerprints after just a few uses. Fell fingerprints and water stains with this hack from Joanna Douglas, the owner of Clean Affinity, a home cleaning service in Portland, Oregon.

“For cleaning faucets and other pipes, we use waxed paper. This method gets rid of fingerprints and small stains,” she explains.

Rid Your Clothes of Cooking Stains

I’m the worst about remembering to wear my apron while I’m cooking, which means I’m regularly battling stains on my clothes. When it comes to most stains, Douglas says that a mixture of dishwashing soap and salt will easily remove the stain in less than five minutes.

For more serious stains, or stains that have been ignored for a bit too long, Lauren Haynes, supervisor at Star Domestic Cleaners, has a few tried and true hacks her company uses.
For butter stains, for instance, you should always begin by scraping, not scrubbing, as much of the butter as possible off of the clothing. Then, rub the spot with dishwashing soap, rinse, and repeat until all of the butter and soap are gone. Before washing the clothing, pretreat the stain with a stain remover and wash on the hottest setting.

“For gravy and ketchup stains, begin with removing the excess material and blot with a clean, white cloth,” she says. “Then mix two cups of cool water with a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent. Apply the solution to a white cloth, and blot [the spot] until the liquid is absorbed. If necessary, repeat the process until the spot is gone. To remove the remaining cleaning solution, blot the area again with another cloth rinsed in cool water. At the end, blot dry, and you are done.”

Scrub Away Soap Scum

The tile, sinks, and faucets often become problem areas in kitchens because of soap scum and residue.
It’s a special kind of frustrating—soap is the chosen one! It was said that it would destroy the scum, not join it; bring cleanliness to the sink, not leave it in filth.

Fortunately, you don’t need a store-bought solution to get rid of soap scum. Simply create a paste from one cup of baking soda and a few tablespoons of vinegar. Apply this paste to areas with soap residue, and use a sponge to scrub away.

Never Dust Cabinet Tops Again

Early this year, I painted our kitchen a fresh coat of white. Climbing the counters to paint hard to reach areas, I was horrified to find a thick layer of dust settled in the space between the top of my cabinets and the ceiling. It was the biggest pain to clean up, taking several rags just to get the top layer of dust and dirt wiped away. I wish I had spoken with Woodward years ago, when we first moved into this home.

“If you have kitchen cabinets that don’t go all the way to the ceiling, cut or fold newspaper to cover the tops of the cabinets,” she suggests. “Instead of spending ages cleaning built-up gunk off your cabinets, just change out the paper from time to time.”

Stop Wiping Away Toast Crumbs

If your toaster leaves a sprinkle of toast crumbs on your counter every morning, it’s probably time for a deep clean of this kitchen appliance. I’m embarrassed to say that, until just recently, I had no clue that there was a “right” way to clean out a toaster.

As it turns out, each toaster has spring loaded trays on the bottom that can be completely removed. These trays catch most of the crumbs. Once you’ve unplugged your toaster, you can remove them, dump them, and give them a good soak in soap and water.
Oh, and before putting it back together, use a pastry brush to free crumbs trapped in other areas of the toaster, and wipe the toaster down with vinegar for good measure.
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Catherine, 62, first began experiencing perimenopause, or the span of time when a woman’s body transitions out of its reproductive years, when she was in her early forties.

During perimenopause, a woman’s estrogen levels rise and fall irregularly, which can produce signs that the body is entering a new season of life: For Catherine, the early signal her body gave was irregular menstrual periods.

“I never knew when I would get my period,” she says. “It was challenging because it would catch me off guard, and my period would show up when I was unprepared to deal with it. I finally started carrying tampons with me at all times so I could deal with ‘surprise’ periods.”
In addition to an unpredictable menstrual cycle, Catherine encountered extreme hot flashes, both in the daytime and nighttime: “The night sweats [were] so severe that I would have to change my pajamas two to three times during the night because they would be so wet.”

By the time Catherine’s symptoms ceased, she had endured them for 10 years, which she acknowledges was unexpected. “I started perimenopause in my early forties, and by the time the hot flashes finally stopped, I was in my fifties,” she says.
Due to a family history of cardiac issues and breast cancer, Catherine chose not to pursue any treatments—like hormone replacement therapy—to manage her symptoms throughout menopause.

So, is it necessary for women to struggle with menopausal symptoms for years on end?

Menopause is a fact of life, yet many women feel unprepared or misinformed about the shifts their bodies will encounter as they move through this life change. They’ve heard the less-than-favorable remarks regarding menopause, though, which can make this natural rite of passage sound like a terrible experience.

Below, we’ll take a more detailed look at menopause, its symptoms, and ways women can thrive during this transitional time in their lives.

Menopause Explained—and Some Signs and Symptoms

Megan Schmitt is a board-certified OB/GYN and an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Minnesota. Schmitt provides the following explanation of menopause: “Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation that occurs after the loss of ovarian activity. Basically, the ovaries stop the production of estrogen and progesterone—two main female hormones—to [below] the amount that it takes to prepare an egg and ovulate every month.”
“To reach this definition,” she clarifies, “a woman has to have a lack of periods for 12 calendar months.”
Yet symptoms associated with this transition appear much earlier than the twelfth month of no periods—often seven years prior, reports the National Institute on Aging, but occasionally up to 14.

On the stages of menopause, Schmitt notes:

• In the United States, the average age of menopause is around 51, but the age of onset can vary widely among women.
• The symptom-laden time interval before the complete cessation of periods, as noted earlier, is called “perimenopause,” or the menopause transition. (The time after menopause, naturally, is called “postmenopause.”)
• The duration and severity of symptoms during the stages of menopause are different for each woman.

When entering perimenopause, Schmitt says, “It is the fluctuation of hormone levels and decreasing estrogen levels that causes the physiologic changes and the clinical symptoms.” These symptoms can include:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Irregular periods
• Itching and dryness
• Pain during intimacy
• Weight changes
• Sleep changes (due to night sweating)
• Mental changes

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic reports that woman may experience a slower metabolism, thinning hair, dry skin, a decrease in the fullness of breasts, and urinary incontinence throughout the menopause transition.

Rebecca’s Story

Rebecca, 48, was in her early forties when she experienced the first signs her body was undergoing a significant change. She began having hot flashes, and after seeing a specialist in gynecology/endocrinology, he confirmed she was perimenopausal.

In the years that followed, Rebecca says she developed night sweats, anxiety, depression, mood swings, bouts of confusion, irregular periods, food cravings, trouble sleeping, and weight gain.
Rebecca has sought assistance for her symptoms by trying hormone replacement therapy and increasing her antidepressant dosage. She hopes these treatments will bring her relief as she navigates the uncharted waters of menopause, but she fears these options may not be enough for her to feel in control of this time in her life.

In reality, many women struggle with a whole host of undesirable symptoms as they approach and go through menopause. But what treatment options are available to support women, emotionally and physically, and make the second stage of their lives equal to or better than the first?

Ways to Reduce Symptoms

“Many women come to their routine yearly exam and say, ‘I want to talk about hot flashes [because they are] really bad,’” says Schmitt. She notes that many women are not aware of just how common their symptoms are.

Yet no two women experience the stages of menopause in the same way. And because it is such a crucial and broad issue, Schmitt suggests that women make an additional appointment with their healthcare providers to discuss any uncertainties they have. Then, the provider can better understand their concerns and make the appropriate treatment recommendations.

While it’s important to discuss your specific set of symptoms with your doctor, the following are non-hormonal possibilities that may warrant some consideration when looking to ease the transition from peri- to postmenopausal:

• Phytoestrogens: These are plant-derived substances with estrogen-like effects. Examples of phytoestrogens include soybeans, soy products, red clover, flax seeds, and yams. Schmitt says these foods, especially soy products, are popular choices for women because people who consume them tend to have fewer hot flashes.
• Herbal Remedies: There are many herbal remedies on the market, but some of the more common supplements used to reduce the symptoms of menopause include black cohosh, ginseng, St. John’s wort, and ginkgo biloba. “We do not recommend some of these herbal supplements for women on blood thinners,” Schmitt cautions, “as it can increase the risk of bleeding.” These remedies should also not be used to treat depression.
• Treatments for dryness/itching: During menopause, it’s not uncommon for women to experience symptoms like dryness, itching, and pain during intimacy. Localized moisturizers, Schmitt says, can help restore moisture to the tissues.

Though the above treatments can be obtained without prescriptions, note, again, that you should always consult your doctor before using them. They shouldn’t replace your doctor’s recommended treatment, though they may be able to supplement it and further increase your quality of life.

In addition, women may want to incorporate the following:

• Lifestyle changes: Schmitt suggests that some lifestyle changes which may help women control their fluctuating body temperatures. Those changes include wearing layered clothing, decreasing the room temperature, and consuming cool beverages. Additionally, she recommends avoiding caffeine, as it’s associated with the increased severity and frequency of hot flashes.
• Exercise: Many women notice improvements in their symptoms when they add cardiovascular exercise and weight training to their workouts. Plus, weight training increases lean muscle mass, which can reduce weight changes associated with menopause. Additionally, introducing meditation and other relaxation exercises can reduce the occurrence of hot flashes.
• Non-hormonal prescription medications: In some instances, women find success using non-hormonal medications to mitigate the vasomotor (hot flashes, night sweats) symptoms of menopause. These medications include many antidepressants and the anti-seizure medication called gabapentin. Never take these medications without a prescription, and even then, make sure your doctor knows you’re using them to mitigate vasomotor symptoms.

On Hormone Replacement Therapy

The topic of HRT is vast. Many studies show a relationship between extended HRT and breast cancer, according to research in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Schmitt, though, notes (and The American College of Gynecologists & Obstetricians would agree) that it’s an effective treatment for hot flashes, night sweats, osteoporosis, and dryness/itching.

“Systemic therapy, with estrogen alone or in combination with progesterone, is the most effective therapy for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms,” Schmitt says, though hormones “should not be used for the prevention of heart disease or strokes.”
“The goal is to use the lowest amount of hormones to control symptoms for the shortest duration of time,” she adds. “HRT is a very safe and effective treatment when initiated at the time of menopause for the treatment of symptoms.”

When used under the guidance of a knowledgeable practitioner, HRT can be a valuable tool for women to feel their best. But it needs to be tailored to each woman and at the lowest possible dose to achieve the desired outcomes. Talk with your doctor regarding the benefits and risks of taking HRT.

“I hear a [certain] quote from patients on a daily basis,” Schmitt says.

“‘There’s a lot about aging that people don’t tell you!’ [So] it is important for women to not only talk about these issues with each other but also with their healthcare professionals.”

“Most women feel uncomfortable discussing [the symptoms of] menopause,” she continues, “but these are common issues, and treatment can improve women’s personal lives tremendously if they have the confidence to discuss these issues with their doctors.”

While the cold shower is long-known for its libido-stymieing properties, the topic of voluntarily lowering the temperature of your water has recently become, well, hot.
It seems that everyone from YouTubers to health bloggers, and even perhaps someone you live with, is testing the benefits of cold showers. Considering all of the acclaim it has received, it’s difficult not to jump in on this trend.
However, we’d be remiss if we forget the fact that it is a cold shower. Instead of spending a few minutes of your day basking in hot water and letting your cares slip away, you’ll be freezing, probably shivering, and cursing the water that’s traipsing around on your skin.

But are the benefits worth the terror? Here we examine if, just like champagne, showers are better on ice.

Hair and Skin Benefits

Cold water showers can make you glow so hard that J. Lo will be jealous. From its color-complementing abilities to its cuticle-calming charm, even harmed hair can get a heavenly helping from some hardly-heated H2O. And your skin can get a heaping of this help with a dash of cold to remedy some cold-weather woes.

Forget what you’ve heard, your hair likes it cold.

Looking to get your hair luscious, smooth, and fabulous enough to star in its own shampoo commercial? If so, taking a cold shower may be your ticket to stardom.

You may not have known this, but your hair loves cold water. It has a thing for the way the chilly liquid wraps itself around each strand, leaving it close to frozen. But it’s not because your hair secretly wants to be a polar bear; your hair likes cold water because of how it makes it look.
Cold water flattens ruffled cuticles—the outermost part of the hair shaft—and seals them, helping to keep in moisture. The result is hair that looks smooth, shiny, and healthy. And since warm water helps the cuticle to open, which allows the shampoo and conditioner to do their jobs, it’s a good idea to give your coif a final rinse with some cool water.

You’ll come out of the shower feeling a little more chilly than usual, but one step closer to landing a prestigious hair modeling contract. Well, maybe not, but it will still look pretty dang luxurious.

Cold water knows that color that good isn’t meant to fade.

Those who dye their hair have a love/hate relationship with warm water. Although it does a fantastic job of removing buildup and other material that can make your hair color look less than vibrant, it can also suck the hue right out of it. So along with your gorgeous color going down the drain, so will the money you spent on getting it to look that way.

Instead of using color-fading warm water, go for the cold, says long-time hair dye enthusiast Macey Milstead.
“Whenever any water touches my hair, it has got to be cold—and I mean freezing cold,” says the stay-at-home mother of two. “This prolongs the vibrant, unnatural colors I dye my hair with.”
Milstead has long been a fan of bright and bold shades and finds that certain colors are more difficult to maintain than others.

“Currently, I am a hot pink beauty,” the Atlanta resident says of her hair. “It is one of the fastest fading colors. If I use hot water, the colors bleed so fast. If I use cold, the water comes out virtually clear when rinsed.”
The chilly water also helps to keep her hair shiny and reduces the amount of damage it endures, says Milstead.

Cool water can stop your skin from being so extra and just chill out already.

If the idea of freezing cold water against your skin doesn’t exactly make you feel warm and cozy, you’re not alone. After all, the point of taking a shower is to be comfortable and surrounded by all that steamy goodness. But no matter how amazing that warm water feels, it’s not doing your skin any favors.

As our external barrier breaks down, the skin becomes more prone to irritation.

“Hot water tends to strip natural skin oils and moisturizing factors from the out layer (epidermis) of the skin,” says Tyler Hollmig, MD, director of Laser and Aesthetic Dermatology at Stanford Health Care. “After the hot shower water evaporates, the skin is left dry, flaky, and is prone to rashes and irritation. This is one of the major reasons that eczema often flares during the winter.”
But eczema sufferers aren’t the only ones who experience issues while using warm or hot water when bathing: Just about everyone is affected.
“A colder, drier ambient climate, coupled with the temptation to take a long, hot shower, reduces the skin’s ability to keep itself fit and moist,” says Hollmig. “As our external barrier breaks down, the skin becomes more prone to irritation.”

Instead, Hollmig recommends taking lukewarm or cold showers for 10 minutes or less, as the cooler water temperature is less likely to damage the skin’s external layers. And skip heavy-duty exfoliants and aggressive use of the loofah, as well. Although they work well at removing dead skin, they can wreak havoc on healthy skin, too.

Psychological Benefits

It may sound crazy, but taking a cold shower is thought to come with psychological benefits.

Bye, bye, blues.

After a long, hard day, one of the most enjoyable and relaxing activities a person can partake in is a nice, steamy shower or bath. But if you’re washing yourself with warm water, you might not just be washing away some stress.

The bad news is depression affects more than 16 million American adults each year according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. The good news, however, is that taking a cold shower may decrease the symptoms.
According to a study published in Medical Hypotheses, cold showers can provide anti-depressive properties because of the effect they have on the sympathetic nervous system and the chemicals that are released in the brain during the shower. And because of the cold receptors in the skin, the icy water will send electrical impulses from the peripheral nerve endings to the brain. This feeling, says the study, may counteract depression.

Who needs coffee?

Sure, warm showers in the morning feel good, but are they good for your energy level? Warm and relaxing showers cause you to do just that: relax. The steamy water makes your brain and body think it’s time to snuggle up and get your chill on (not temperature-wise). But when you’re just waking up, this is likely the opposite of what you want, as a relaxed body is more inclined to hop back into bed than to take the day on with guns blazing.

Cool or cold showers can be invigorating by releasing endorphins and increasing heart rate …

That shocking little wake-up call of cold water will cause your body to experience an adrenaline rush, which can result in an energy boost. And it can leave you feeling good, too, says Catherine Forest, MD, family medicine physician at Stanford Health Care.

“Cool or cold showers can be invigorating by releasing endorphins and increasing heart rate,” she says, “which some people find appealing.”
So, the next time you’re contemplating sleeping in and potentially losing your job, hop in a chilly shower instead.

Overall Health Benefits

Cold showers aren’t just good for your hair, skin, and mind. They can also improve the wellness of your entire body.

Your body + cold water = a match made in circulation heaven.

Having good circulation in your body means you’re getting enough blood, oxygen, and nutrients to all of your organs. When things aren’t running as well as they could, you may experience tingling, pain, muscle cramps, and numbness, which is a sign that certain parts of your body aren’t getting the amount of blood they need to perform optimally.

Cold or coolness can decrease inflammation from injury … by increasing blood flow in the body as a whole.

These issues, however, aren’t anything a blast of cold water can’t fix, or at least possibly improve. Poor circulation is actually a symptom of something else going on in your body. In order to completely eliminate poor circulation, you’ll need to find out the underlying cause. But until then, cool water on the skin may do the trick.
Treating yourself to a cold shower causes blood to surround your organs, which may improve your health. It also helps your arteries pump blood more efficiently, which is good for your heart and the rest of your body, as well. Cold showers may also help with inflammation and injury.
“Cold or coolness can decrease inflammation from injury—although site-specific cold’s usually recommended—or by increasing blood flow in the body as a whole,” says Forest.

Wash away excess weight.

And if cold showers haven’t already worked their way into your heart, this might do it: These potentially uncomfortable plunges may help you lose weight.
Oh yes, shivering in the shower can stimulate weight loss, but it’s not because of the teeth-chattering cardio you’ll endure. It’s because of your new best friend, otherwise known as brown fat.
Your body contains two types of fat: white fat and brown fat. White fat takes up real estate in your body when you take in more calories than you burn. It’s responsible for making your clothes feel too tight and problem areas on your thighs, neck, waist, stomach, and arms. Basically, it’s the bad fat.

Fortunately, there’s someone else in your body who wants to kick that white fat to the curb: brown fat. Just like with cholesterol, fat has a good form and a bad form. Brown fat is the good form, as it insulates your body. And just like goose bumps, this fat is activated by exposure to cold temperatures. This means that spending time under cold cascading water can encourage healthy fat to form.

Want to take the plunge?

Although we’d like to tell you that jumping straight into a bone-chilling shower is going to be a cake walk, we can’t if we’re being honest. If you’re not a “jump in and get it over with” kind of person, start by ending your wash with a short little blast, and increase the torture, er, time, with each shower.

Yes, it will probably be shocking, and yes, there’s a chance you may hate every second of it. But when you experience the potential health benefits that spending just a little part of your day colder than you care to admit can have, you will likely think it’s worth it.

Bill Gates recently announced he will invest $100 million to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The degenerative brain disease has struck several men in the billionaire tycoon’s family, as well as around 5.5 million Americans.

“My family history isn’t the sole reason behind my interest in Alzheimer’s,” Gates wrote in his personal blog. “But my personal experience has exposed me to how hopeless it feels when you or a loved one gets the disease. We’ve seen scientific innovation turn once-guaranteed killers like HIV into chronic illnesses that can be held in check with medication. I believe we can do the same (or better) with Alzheimer’s.”

As such, Gates is dropping half of the massive amount of dough into the Dementia Discovery Fund, a private group that is working on identifying new targets for treatments and attempting to “diversify the clinical pipeline.” The other $50 million is going to start-ups working on Alzheimer’s treatments.

“There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about our chances: our understanding of the brain and the disease is advancing a great deal,” he wrote. “We’re already making progress—but we need to do more.”

Alzheimer’s is categorized into three types: early-onset, late-onset, and familial. More is known about late-onset and familial Alzheimer’s, although 13 percent of early-onset cases are familial. Early-onset occurs in people who are younger than 65 and is rare, accounting for only about 5 percent of the Alzheimer’s population. Those with early-onset also experience more of the brain changes that come with Alzheimer’s than those who develop it later on in life do.

Alzheimer’s Disease 101

Alzheimer’s disease is most commonly known for its devastating ability to wipe out the memory of those who have it. Over time, however, it will also damage the person’s thinking skills, leaving them unable to perform even the simplest tasks.

Discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, the condition also creates significant changes in a person’s brain.

“Two abnormalities central to the disease are plaques and tangles,” says Heather M. Snyder, PhD and Senior Director of Medical and Scientific Operations at the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Plaques are formed by clumps of beta-amyloid protein that interfere with cell-to-cell communication in the brain. Tangles occur when tau protein in the brain—a key component in the brain’s transport system—twist into abnormal tangles, disrupting delivery of nutrients and other essential materials within the brain.”

“Researchers are working to better understand the precise role plaques and tangles play in the disease and how to prevent or slow their development.”

The damage begins in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is responsible for holding onto memories. Over time, and as more neurons die, other parts of the brain are affected. Eventually, the brain can experience significant shrinkage and prevent people from engaging in simple tasks like eating.

Although it is listed as the sixth leading cause of death in Americans, the disease isn’t usually what kills. Rather, the complications that come with the disease are thought to cause death. For example, a person who is bedridden because of Alzheimer’s may develop a fatal blood clot. Weight loss and other complications can result in a weakened immune system, which can lead to problems that may end in death.

Symptoms of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, a syndrome that includes a combination of memory loss and the inability to perform simple tasks that is so significant it affects a person’s daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s differs from late-onset and familial in that it typically appears when a person is in their forties or fifties, as opposed to when they’re 65. And although memory loss and confusion happen to even the healthiest brains from time to time, it’s worrisome when it happens progressively more than usual.

But it’s more than forgetfulness that is a cause for concern.

Other symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s include trouble with time and place, difficulty completing familiar tasks, challenges in planning and problem solving, trouble speaking, misplacing things, withdrawal, and decreased or poor judgment.

Who gets Alzheimer’s?

Unfortunately, when it comes to Alzheimer’s, just about everyone is game. However, genetics do play a factor. Your chances of getting Alzheimer’s, either early-onset or late-onset, are increased if you have a parent or sibling who is affected, says Snyder.

Familial Alzheimer’s, however, is a whole different ball of wa
x. Just like early-onset, familial Alzheimer’s is rare, affecting only about 2 percent of the Alzheimer’s population. It is the result of a mutation that affects one to three genes that are known to aid in the development of Alzheimer’s: PSEN1, PSEN2, and AAP. Those who have relatives with familial Alzheimer’s are just about guaranteed to inherit the condition, as well.

Alzheimer’s is also more prevalent in certain groups, and researchers aren’t sure why that is.

“Current estimates indicate that African Americans are twice as likely to develop the disease,” Snyder says. “Hispanics are one-and-one-half times as likely. People living with Down’s syndrome are at higher risk, and two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.”

Researchers are currently examining what mechanisms and underlying biology may be contributing to why the disease targets certain people, including genetics, and variations in health, lifestyle and environmental risk factors, she says.

Is genetic testing worth it?

Since medical professionals have identified which genes affect Alzheimer’s, it makes sense to wonder if genetic testing to determine if you will develop the disease is beneficial. The problem is that the tests don’t provide a definitive answer, says Snyder.

“Unless a person has familial Alzheimer’s that guarantees Alzheimer’s (2 percent or fewer of all cases), a genetic test will only indicate if someone is at greater or lower risk for the disease,” she says. “The Alzheimer’s Association cautions against routine genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease risk until an individual has received proper counseling and understands the information necessary to make an informed decision, including the social and economic factors that could be impacted by having this genetic information.”

In other words, you’ll need to ask yourself if finding out that you might have a greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s than the next guy does is worth the effect it may have on your life. Since you won’t receive a definite answer of whether or not you’ll have the condition, it may not be worth the what-ifs you’ll likely experience after receiving the results.

After the Diagnosis

Receiving a late-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis isn’t a walk in the park. But finding out you have early-onset Alzheimer’s is typically worse.

It’s life changing, not only for the person receiving the diagnosis but for their loved ones as well.

Those with early-onset often begin experiencing symptoms while they are still working. This can create problems that people who develop the condition later on in life don’t usually have to worry about, says Snyder. They may find it gets increasingly difficult to perform their duties at the same level they did prior to the diagnosis and may also lose their jobs because of it.

As such, providing for their families, paying college tuition for children, and keeping up with the mortgage can become a struggle, particularly if the person with Alzheimer’s is the primary financial provider for the family. Because they are younger, they may not have the financial means to be able to retire. And since Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, it only gets worse and worse.

“It’s life changing, not only for the person receiving the diagnosis but for their loved ones as well,” Snyder says. “Following a diagnosis, it’s important for the individual and family members to educate themselves about the disease, available treatments, and care and support services that can help navigate current and future challenges associated with the disease, including the emotional aspects of coming to terms with a diagnosis.”

And although there isn’t currently a cure for Alzheimer’s, medications are available that can help to manage the symptoms. Participation in trials is also encouraged, as patients have access to treatment therapies that are in development that they may not otherwise.

What to do if you Think You May Have Early-Onset Alzheimer’s

Age-related changes in memory and thinking are expected. Experiencing them in your thirties, forties, or fifties, however, is a bit worrisome, and something you should definitely get checked out, cautions Snyder.

“Most everyone experiences occasional memory lapses, but when memory or cognition issues become more frequent and start interfering in your daily life—it’s important to be evaluated by a physician,” Snyder suggests. “Having trouble with memory does not mean you have Alzheimer’s. Many health issues can cause problems with memory and thinking.”

Joining the cause can help families facing the disease know they are not alone in their fight.

Thyroid problems, depression, drug interactions, excessive alcohol use, and certain vitamin deficiencies can all cause dementia-like symptoms, says Snyder. But the good news is that when the issues are caused by a treatable condition like these, the damage may be reversed.

Receiving an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnose may seem like something you can’t come back from. Having a loved one find out they have it can also make your world feel like it will never be the same again. And although you may face challenges, you can provide hope by joining the fight against Alzheimer’s, says Snyder.

“You can volunteer at your local Alzheimer’s Association office, participate in fundraising events such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and The Longest Day, advocate for more research funding, or sign up to participate in a clinical study as a healthy volunteer through the Alzheimer’s Association Trial Match,” she says. “Joining the cause can help families facing the disease know they are not alone in their fight.”