College Admissions Essay: My Interest In Alzheimer's Disease

In the United States there are approximately 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Every sixty-nine seconds a person is diagnosed. This is an ongoing issue, and unless something is done, sixteen million people will be affected by 2050 (Latest).

During an average lifetime, one can expect to have at least occasional memory lapses from time to time. Usually it's something as simple as forgetting what you just did a few minutes ago, forgetting if you turned the stove off, or if you left your keys on the table or in the bathroom counter. Such lapses are relatively normal, but when they become a recurring theme, it's a more serious problem.

In February of 2000, I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's disease. She was diagnosed with the disease just less than two years prior to her death. Throughout that time, I watched changes in my grandmother that made her seem like an entirely different woman to me. She gradually began losing her short-term memory and we began to see signs of her long-term memory degrading too. It began to get harder and harder to take her out into public without being afraid of what would happen next. Her emotions would fluctuate with the changing of each minute it seemed. Physically she became weaker and weaker and would often scare us with falling while she would be walking. Eventually she had to be moved into the

"Confusion, Anxiety, Anger and Pain, Despair" these are some of the words that Kaunie Hagensen uses to describe her condition in the poem Lost. (Hagensen 1999) These feelings are shared by many people today who suffer from, or have family members who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. The Encyclopedia of Alzheimer's Disease describes it as being, "a progressive degenerative disease characterized by the death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain. While the most obvious symptom is loss of memory, the disease also causes problems with emotional control, vision, and language." (Turkington 2003, 14) "Alzheimer's disease" has previously been used to describe dementia arising in middle age, but because of the neuropathological

Alzheimer is a dangerous disease that mostly affects the brain. Alzheimer disease associates itself with a set of symptoms including memory loss as well as talking and thinking challenges. These side effects happen when harm occurs in the cerebrum. The decision to pick between a nursing home care and assisted living for a close person who requires special help is a troublesome dilemma that face numerous families who have Alzheimer patients. Families are often feel poorly prepared to settle on the right choice. The research aims at helping families by looking at the advantages and shortcomings of every sort of consideration. The reason is that before making a decision on that topic, it is important

get it, but most cases are the only ones in a family. Some patients who develop

New evidence states a viral infection brings Alzheimer’s to light. A recent editorial from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shifts focus from immune system suppression to a viral infection. Dr. Douglas Kell, a professor at the University of Manchester’s School of Chemistry, claims, “We are saying there is an incontrovertible evidence that Alzheimer’s disease has a dormant microbial (viral) component. We can’t keep ignoring all of the evidence” (Knapton). Viruses are commonly found in the brains of elderly people. In most cases, they have all of their bodily functions. Around two-thirds of people will contract the viral infection herpes at some point in their lifetime. Herpes has been known to damage the central nervous system in humans.

Alzheimer’s disease is nothing we can control. Unfortunately, this disease is a progressive, devastating brain illness that causes cognitive decline, including memory, language and thinking problems; which also happens to have no current cure even after all the years of trying to find one. “It is unknown what causes Alzheimer’s disease but older age and family history appear to play a role.” (Shu, 2011) Not only do age and family history play a factor in Alzheimer’s Disease, changes to the immune system can also play a part. However, throughout the years of our knowledge of Alzheimer’s, there have been many claims that the influenza vaccination (flu shot) increases the risk of getting this disease. This has caused a great deal of worry in many people, mostly elders. They’re not sure if they should get the vaccine, or if their loved ones with dementia should continue to get the vaccination. However, before this claim was made, numerous people were getting the influenza

There are about 45 million people worldwide affected by this dreadful disease (Crous-Bou). However, this isn’t cancer or heart disease. This is Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s the disease that has no sympathy towards anyone, not even my beloved grandmother. My grandmother, who I call Tita, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and has been dealing with symptoms for a few years now. Whenever she’s living with us (she lives with both her daughters at different times), she always forgets the simplest of things, such as her granddaughter’s name or even what day of the week it is. When these questions are asked, I can’t help but feel pity towards my Tita. My mother had told me about my Tita having this disease, but what surprised me more was the lack of treatments and preventions that also came with it. There should be more effective research completed on the preventions and treatments of Alzheimer’s Disease in order to get closer to a final cure for the patients.

In 1901, a fifty one year old woman named Frau Auguste D. was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Frankfurt, Germany. She had an unusual bunch of symptoms. While she had no history of prior psychiatric illness, her husband had noticed that Frau D. was becoming increasing paranoid, hallucinatory, agitated, disoriented, and having increasing difficulties with language functions and memory.

     It is inevitable that eventually each of us will grow old and begin to face more and more health problems as our age rises. Elderly people are challenged by many illnesses and diseases that unfortunately, are incurable. One disease that becomes more common as people age is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s a common cause and a form of dementia and can severely damage a patient’s cognitive functions and can ultimately cause death. Living with Alzheimer’s disease can be saddening for both the sufferer and the family. Family and friends will find it very hard to cope when a loved one begins slipping away and losing memory of who they are.

Alzheimer's Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in today's society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day which slow down, and may even halt the progress of the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease slowly steals a person’s dignity and erases precious memories. The “Alzheimer’s Disease Guide”, found on WebMD explains that tasks become more difficult to do often leading to confusion and behavior changes. The article further explains the progression of the disease also brings hardship to family and friends (1). To best cope with Alzheimer’s we must better understand the disease.

Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (Gilbert & Julie 2). The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years, though there is a small minority of people under the age of 50 who get the disease. Studies show that 1% of a whole population aged between the ages 65-75 have severe

Alzheimer’s disease affects 1 out of every 8 people in the United States. It is a long and debilitating disease that affects every aspect of a person’s life from the way they preform daily tasks, to the physical and mental abilities that are diminishing. Along with the lifestyle changes that Alzheimer’s disease presents, it also affects one’s psychological perspective as well their view on what they can offer their family and society. There are some ways to maintain a level of independence with a disease of this magnitude but there are also factors in lifestyle choices that can make it worse. Alzheimer cannot be cured, it cannot be slowed, but there are ways to keep the effected person at a certain level of comfort, independence and safety