Alzheimer's Disease Essay

The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning

Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewed to the extent it is known today.

Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.

Alzheimer’s is a disease with many stages. It is a terrible, slow-progressing disease and few people know how it progresses, how it affects the family members, and the medical research being done to find a cure. It is very difficult to watch a loved one suffer with Alzheimer’s, however finding a cure could be in the near future.

Alzheimer’s is a disease where neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, or the brain’s chemicals break connections with other nerve cells causing the cells to die off, the effects of this are irreversible. The loss of these cells result in loss of thinking and language skills, unpredictable behavioral changes and eventually the inability to carry out the simplest tasks. Although there is no known cause for Alzheimer’s, researchers have found a genetic link. Alzheimer’s first symptoms usually appear when a person is between forty and fifty years of age. Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that initiates in the brain, drastically decreasing the quality of life as well as life expectancy in millions of people around the world.

Alzheimer’s Disease affects millions of men and women each day. Those affected face many struggles and live a hard life as their memory slowly deteriorates. Some situations they face we would never wish upon someone else and at times can be very sad to see. Alzheimer’s Disease affects those surrounded by it just as much as it affects the person struggling with the illness. To be able to understand Alzheimer’s it is key to know the symptoms and complications, what it is like to live with the disease and the treatment.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by gradual cognitive decline that beings with the inability to create recent memories or thoughts which then proceeds to influencing all intellectual functions (Mayeux & Stern, 2012) . Alzheimer’s disease leads to premature death and the dependence of someone for daily life functions. (Mayeux & Stern, 2012) If effects an estimated 5.5 million people in the United States and 24 million people worldwide (Mayeux & Stern, 2012). The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is rising in line with the aging population therefore; Alzheimer’s is most common in older patients around the ages of 60-85 (Mayeux & Stern, 2012).

Most families want to be there for their senior loved one. Many simply do not know what to do, how to plan for the future, how to make the home safe, or how to respond to the changes that take place as the disease progresses. Those that battle through, find themselves exhausted and usually face their own health concerns due to lack of sleep, stress, and physical and emotional burnout.

When talking to someone who has Alzheimer’s Disease, they usually do not recognize their loved ones or remember what they are doing. For the family members of people with Alzheimer's it is quite heartbreaking to see their mother, father, grandmother, or grandfather in that condition. The disease may lead to death after a few years and during that time the disease worsens. As of right now there are no known cure for the disease, but there are measures one can take to help prevent Alzheimer’s. With the information known about how the disease works, a cure should hopefully be not that far away.

In the pamphlet Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease, the Alzheimer’s Association adds late onset, traditionally known simply as Alzheimer’s, targets primarily people 65 and older. The disease follows a series of steps from mild decline with little noticed changes to very severe cognitive decline where the final stage of the disease is in progress (Basic 19-21). Throughout the stages, independence becomes lost and family members will become care takers and in the later stages nursing homes or hospice may be needed. One book encourages the care giver to communicate through body language, tone, and written instructions to help alleviate as much stress as possible for those living with Alzheimer’s (Living 47). The book further adds when caring for a person with Alzheimer’s remember to maintain patience and to show respect .

Throughout the severe stage of this disease, the patient will continue to lose control over their mental function and this consequence will greatly affect their ability to complete daily activities (“Alzheimer’s Stages: How the Disease Progresses” ___). During this time, people tend to lose control over physical abilities such as walking or swallowing, need consistent assistance in completion of daily tasks, and there is also a decline in communication ability. They will require constant supervision and assistance with everyday tasks, become especially susceptible to illnesses like pneumonia, and lose the ability to see the world as it truly is (“Stages of Alzheimer’s” ___). The cause of this stages’ occurrence is the plaques and tangles present in the brain which causes the tissue to become much smaller (“Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet” ___). Sometimes, those afflicted with the disease may be in bed until their body cannot continue supporting itself and they die. “Late-stage care decisions can be some of the hardest families face (“Stages of Alzheimer’s”

They lose the ability to think rationally and judgmentally, and this is why the disease becomes so awful. Family members have to dedicate their lives to care for the patient, when in many cases the patient cannot even remember the name of the person caring for them or what they are doing. The patients themselves are in immediate danger of using poor judgment, and for example, not putting shoes on and going out in the snow or other actions that may prove harmful to them. This disease can be very destructive to the families that deal with it.

These relate to the age at which the disease first manifests itself. The occasion of early-onset is much lower than that of late-onset. There is a 10% occurrence rate for persons over the age of sixty-five, and a 50% occurrence rate for those over age eighty five. Late-onset Alzheimer's is often confused with senility due to old-age. This also makes diagnosis difficult for older patients. However Alzheimer's is not an inevitable part of the aging process, unlike a certain amount of senility. It can be helped and with new research may be prevented.

Alzheimer’s affects over 40 million people around the world and four million in the US. It affects mostly the brain, but eventually affects the entire function

At severe stage Alzheimer’s Disease, the patient’s brain has physically changed so much that it affects more then just thinking, reasoning and memory, critical functions such as respiratory system, digestive system control is lost and the body begins to stop functioning.