Brain Injuries and Alzheimer’s
If you know someone who has Alzheimer’s disease, then you understand how devastating it is. This is not something that you ever want to have or see a loved one with. It strips you of your cognitive function, which has a domino effect on your ability to live a happy and healthy life. Unfortunately, there is really no way to stop the disease. You really can only monitor your risk factors.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is possible that one of the risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s is past injuries to the brain. Not every head injury will increase your risk for the disease, though. Research shows there are some specific characteristics of the type of injuries that may increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is important to understand there is not a definitive link between head injuries and Alzheimer’s disease.
Severity and extent of the injury
More severe head injuries often impact your chances of developing Alzheimer’s. The more damage to the brain you have, the more it will naturally affect your ability to think and reason. Also, repeated head injuries also seem to increase the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease due to the continued damage to the brain from the injuries.
Age at time of injury
One factor that seems to come into play is your age at the time of your injury. Injuries in your younger years will probably not have an impact on whether you develop Alzheimer’s disease. However, any injuries at age 55 or older do seem to increase the risk.