Alzheimers : The Causes And Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease

In times past many people thought that memory loss was a normal occurrence for elderly people. This thinking was major reason for why Alzheimer’s disease was not caught until very later in the stages. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. After heart disease, cancer, and strokes, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of death in adults in the Western world. “It is estimated that 4.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected with this condition. After the age of 65, the incidence of the disease doubles every five years and, by age 85, it will affect nearly half of the population” (Robinson).

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that may cause the brain to fail. The most common one is Alzheimer’s followed closely behind by Parkinson’s. Alzheimer’s was discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who discovered changes in the brain of a woman who died of an unusual mental. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. Doctor’s now look at brain scans to see abnormal changes in the brain. Doctors may ask questions both to the patient and a family member of the patient, such as, over-all health, past medical problems, ability to carry out daily activities, and changes in behavior and personality. They also might conduct tests of memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language

-Alzheimer’s is in no way a normal part of aging. It is when the cells of the brain gradually deteriorates and consequently affects thinking ability and memory. Their activities of daily living will also be greatly affected.

Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and is common in adults older than 65. More than five million Americans are being affected by Alzheimer’s at this moment. Alzheimer’s comes in three stages; early, middle, and advanced. The disease is caused by the shrinking of the brain due to many risk factors and genetics.

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory and it is not a normal part of aging, “Although the greatest risk factor is increasing age” (Alzheimer’s Association). Even though our memory begins to deteriorate when we are growing older we don’t necessarily forget we get the “tip of the tongue” effect where we are ale to recollect our memories unlike those with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease was discovered by Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist. The disease was initially observed in a 51-year-old woman, after her family brought her to Dr. Alzheimer with concerns about her personality and behavior. He detected many unusual symptoms, including difficulty with

In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, noticed some changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms were comprised of memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After her death, Dr. Alzheimer examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of

Throughout history there have been reports of decreased memory and mental deterioration that accompanied old age. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who described the symptoms in a woman in Germany in the 1907 but it was not until the 1970’s that AD was considered to be a major disorder and AD continues to be a major health concern worldwide (Reger, 2002).

Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most commonly known form of dementia, which is a broad term used to describe types of memory loss that affect day to day life (National Alzheimer’s Association). As the disease progresses the symptoms worsen to the point individuals can no longer react to and engage with their environment. Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. At this time, there is no known cure for this disease.

Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by a German physician named Alois Alzheimer in 1906. It all started in 1887, when Alois Alzheimer graduated from Wurzburg with a degree in medicine. A year after graduation, Alzheimer spend months helping mentally ill women in a mental asylum known as Frankfurt Asylum and began his research on the pathological anatomy of the cerebral cortex. In 1901, Dr. Alzheimer started to closely observe one of the patients named Auguste Deter. She was a 51-year-old women who showed strange behavioral symptoms along with short term memory loss. Auguste’s husband wanted to move her to another mental institution because he couldn’t afford Frankfurt Asylum anymore. Alois Alzheimer would help her stay in the Frankfurt as a trade to receive her medical records and brain once she dies.

Alzheimer’s disease is named after German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes that happened in the brain tissue of Auguste D., who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. So, what exactly is Alzheimer’s? It is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Alzheimer’s has been detected in nearly 15% of people 71 years of age or older because it is caused by a genetic mutation, the disease gets worse over time, and there is currently no cure for it.

     There are many affects of having Alzheimer’s disease. One of the most common is forgetting recently learned information. While it’s somewhat normal to forget appointments, names, or telephone numbers, those with Alzheimer’s will forget such things more often and not remember them later. They also find it hart to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually don’t stop to think about how to do them. People with Alzheimer’s will also often forget simple words or substitutes unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand.

Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.

Many older people forget the name of close relatives or misplace things from one place to another. This type of forgetfulness is normal. But, forgetting how to reach home, getting troubled in places and person knows well, or asking questions continuously can be signs of a more serious problem. It is a disease of the brain that started slowly and gets worse as the time progresses. Alzheimer’s is a progressive destroying of brain tissue that primarily strikes people over the age of 65. Brain functions such as memory, comprehension, and speech deteriorate. The term first introduced by Dr. Alois Alzheimers in 1906. Memory is lost first. As days passes, attention tends to distracted, simple calculations become hard, and ordinary daily activities become difficult, accompanied by angry. These symptoms will worsen at night. Gradually mood changes occur like, outbursts of anger, fear to strangers, and deep apathy. There are mainly 3 factors that increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease are brain changes, lifestyle and heart health, past head trauma.

Our memories are priceless. It makes our life beautiful and worth living. Most importantly, it connects us with people around us. But what if those memories start fading away? What if it becomes difficult to remember names of people or places? This is the horror of Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia affecting millions of people across the globe. It is also one leading cause of death globally.