SEATTLE — Alzheimer's disease is more than memory loss. It can slowly take away a person's ability to think, decide, and live independently. It is the most common kind of dementia which causes trouble thinking in older adults. 

“It is pretty common. It's a primarily a condition of older people,” said Dr. Marty Levine, Medical Director for Optimize Memory Health Support Program. “It's about 10% of people 65 and up. And then the prevalence increases as people get older. So middle 80s it's 1 in 3. So, just it's very common of older people.”

There isn't a straight answer to what causes Alzheimer's Diseases. According to Dr. Levine there might be multiple causes.

"There's probably an accumulation of some kind of inflammation and buildup of protein in the brain with different causes," he said. "But for the most part, we still don't really know why it happens."

Everyone has a senior moment from time to time, but that doesn't mean you have dementia. Dr. Levine urges people to look at function loss if you think you might need an appointment.

“When people start to not be able to manage stuff, they used to be able to manage. That's a sign of something more serious. And that's when you definitely should get it checked out," he said. "So, if someone was really good at cooking a complex meal and then they just can't do it anymore — that's the kind of functional loss with the thinking trouble that is a little bit more concerning and needs evaluation."

When seeking treatment for memory issues, Dr. Levine suggests going with someone who knows you well.

"The clinician, the doctor who sees the person needs to hear the story from a family member too. They need to corroborate and ask questions that the person with thinking troubles might not be able to represent well," he said.

If you're going to an appoint because you suspect Alzheimer's Disease, go with a list your current medications. You might not know the whole story.

“There are even over-the-counter medications that people take too much of that causes thinking troubles. A lot of people might take medication to help them sleep at night. It's very sedating. That medicine shows a picture that looks like Alzheimer's, but it isn't. You stop the medicine, it goes away.”

While people might think the number of diagnosed cases of Alzheimer’s might be increasing, it’s not necessarily true.

“The total number of cases is going up just because we have an aging society, we have more older people," Dr. Levine said. "But the rate of dementia or Alzheimer's in that group is actually a little less than it was, say ten, 15 years ago.”

To learn more about Optum Care's Memory Health support program, just visit optumwa.com

Sponsored by Optum Care Washington.

Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.