Alzheimer's Disease Essay

Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of dementia affecting more than one third of those over ninety-five years old. Its effects vary per person and become systematically more extreme as time wears on. Alzheimer’s is currently incurable and impossible to slow, destroying neurons and brain tissue, resulting in loss of memory, judgment, awareness, communication, behavior and capacity for emotion. Changes in personality and loss of initiative are also common symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer 's is a slow and debilitating disease that generates multiple problems with cognitive skills including; memory, thinking and behavior. (MedlinePlus, 2015) It is especially painful for friends and family members who see their loved ones progressively lose their memory and ability to function as they normally have. Symptoms typically develop gradually and progressively get worse over time, becoming severe enough to put the person afflicted with the disease unable to complete daily tasks and placing themselves at risk. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Alzheimer’s is the most common diagnosed condition of dementia. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases are designated as Alzheimer’s. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Although the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age, it is not considered a normal part of aging. The majority of those diagnosed with Alzheimer 's are approximately sixty-five and older. However, Alzheimer’s is not just a disease affected by the older age populations. About 5 percent of people with Alzheimer’s experience early symptoms and the onset Alzheimer 's and most often appears in their forties or fifties. As stated above, Dementia or Alzheimer’s symptoms gradually worsen over time. In the early stages, it is common to experience mild memory loss. Eventually, the ability to carry on a conversation is lost. The sixth leading cause of death in the United States is Alzheimer’s. After Alzheimer’s symptoms become publicly

Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by Doctor Alois Alzheimer in 1905. He was a German neurologist and psychiatrist. He observed Auguste D. who was 51 at the time he met her. Her family was concerned because she was having memory problems, changes in personality and difficulty speaking. Doctor Alzheimer originally diagnosed her with a form of aggressive dementia, but there was symptoms not commonly found in Dementia patients. Like difficulty in speech and aggression. When she died he performed an autopsy which he found that Auguste’s cerebral cortex shrank, and there was fatty tissues in the blood vessels of her brain. He discovered large amounts of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques (proteins in the brain), which are now the biggest indicator of Alzheimer’s. (alzheimers.org) These fibers increase with age, and when you have Alzheimer’s your body produces them faster then what it should. Alzheimer’s was not officially named in medicine until 1907, and was named after Doctor Alzheimer in 1910.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be described as a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive physical and cognitive decline.1 AD which is mostly seen in the elderly, is the most common form of dementia. Dementia can be described as the loss of the brain’s ability to function in multiple ways in a person who is awake or alert. Dementia includes memory loss and also affects a person’s ability to speak, read, write, listen, and complete certain tasks.1 Dementia can have a tremendous impact on one’s behavior and emotions and can range from being a mild case to being totally disabling. There are several types of dementia with AD being the most common, which primarily affects the elderly and is usually irreversible and non-curable. Although not all dementia is AD, it does however account for up to fifty to seventy-five percent of dementia cases.2 Over 5 million Americans have AD, and it is estimated that by the year 2050 this number will have increased up to 14 million.2 One out of every ten people, ages sixty-five years and older develops AD and some may even develop the disease in their forty’s and fifty’s.2

There are few people who do not worry about getting AD as they get older. Indeed, the incidence of AD increases with each successive year of life after age 60. Currently, scientists estimate that “4.5 million people have AD in America alone and 22 million worldwide” (Willett 63). The disease affects about “five percent of people ages 65 to 74 and nearly half the population of people 85 and older” (“Alzheimer” 1). Disturbingly, the disease is becoming even more common. Statistics now show that the number of people with the disease doubles every five years among older people. Using this as a rule, Dr. Robert Katzman of the University of California “estimates the total could be 45 million worldwide by 2050” (qted in Willett 13).

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is also a progressive disease with no cure. Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906. He noticed changes in brain tissue of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. Although there are many types of dementias, Alzheimer's is the most common. It accounts for 60-80% of dementia causes. Aging is a normal process but Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of the aging process. Early onset Alzheimer’s affects 5% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it appears between the ages of 40’s and 50’s. Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. There are many symptoms that come along with Alzheimer’s

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 disease progresses differently, depending on the person. For some people it progresses slowly and for others it progresses faster. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease eventually leads to death. Suffers of Alzheimer’s can live for up to 3-20 years after having the disease. However, the average life span of Alzheimer’s sufferers is 7-10 years.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that attacks the nervous system, more specifically, the brain. What Alzheimer’s disease does, is degenerate brain cells, it is a progressive disease which means that it gets worse over time (Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet. 2011). Alzheimer’s starts with short term memory loss and eventually can affect the rest of the body, making it harder for the body to function properly, this disease leads to death when in an advanced stage. This Disease currently has no cure (Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet. 2011).

     Alzheimer’s disease, named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, is a disease that is on the rise in America and the rest of the world. People should learn as much as they want about this disease, because as you age, your chances of becoming an Alzheimer’s Disease, or AD, patient increases. It is estimated that approximately 3 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the illness, and more than half of all people over age 85 have the ailment.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that gradually destroys brain cells, affecting a person’s memory and their ability to learn, make judgments, communicate and carry out basic daily activities. The disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. It was first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1905 (Selkoe, 2016). The average life expectancy of an Alzheimers patient is between five and ten years, but some patients today have live for up to 15 years after the diagnosis due to improvements in care and medical treatments. The cause of Alzheimer 's has not yet been discovered and it also not possible to confirm a person has Alzheimer 's until their autopsy following death (Park, 2016).

Alzheimer’s disease is the disease of the century. This disease is affecting many lives, families, and caregivers. This research presented is to help educate on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease, which many people aren’t aware enough about. Statistics are given to show how extreme this disease is, and how many people it’s affecting in society. Also statistics are presented that give the amount of money being spent relating to Alzheimer’s disease. This research explains the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. Also giving advice and strategies to help caregivers manage and support their loved one if they are struck with this disease. Not much is known for sure on what causes this disease, so

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia in people above the age of 65. In 1901, Alois Alzheimer identified the first case of this disease and discovered the pathological condition of dementia that bears his name. AD is a progressive disease, the most common early symptom is short-term memory loss. As the disorder advances, individuals have problems with language, motivation, mood and long-term memory. In the final stages, the patient is complete loss of daily living activities.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental illness that occurs in middle or old age, it is considered an age-related disease. The brain shrinks overtime caused by brain cell death over a period of time. When the brain shrinks it causes the tissue to make fewer connections to the brain which damages memory, speech and comprehension. This can be broken down into three stages; preclinical (where there are no signs or

Alzheimer’s is known as one of the most heartbreaking diseases, not only because it takes your love ones’ life, but because once the illness has started to develop it is impossible to stop it. Alzheimer is a well known form of dementia that causes problems with memory and cognitive abilities interfering with the daily life of the affected.