ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE WRITTEN BY: BRITNEY JESTER Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia, a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Its symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. There is no known cure for it at this time, and has only but a few treatment options to help temporarily improve symptoms. More than three million US cases are diagnosed per year for the ages 65+, and over 200,000 cases in those younger than 65 and is the 6th leading cause of death among US citizens, roughly 60% - 80% of all dementia cases are Alzheimer's cases. The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease is increase of age. Signs and symptoms for Alzheimer’s are sometimes confused with standard aging, effecting …show more content…
I personally know from experience how difficult it can be. As a healthcare provider for the elderly and disabled I have had first hand experience with it. Patients become very combative, mostly in men, and in early stages, they don't understand why they can't remember simple task or memories and it gets frustrating for them. Learning to go with the flow as a caregiver is hard at times, but in the end it is the most rewarding, because they believe in a story in which they are telling and for you to accept it as they tell it allows them to be in the "now". They don't know any different and by you telling the difference only brings heartache and confusion to them. My great-grandmother died from Alzheimer's and my grandmother is suffering from it today. This is why I have dedicated my time and efforts into helping care for victims of this disease, because some people just don't have the patience it takes to handle such a disease. I hope to be apart of finding a cure for this, but until then I feel my calling as a human here on earth is to care for the patients in the
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).
Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells affecting memory, changes in thinking, and other mental functions. In addition, it is the most common form of dementia and generally develops slowly and gradually gets worse as brain function declines and cells start to degenerate and die (4). In 1906, Alois Alzheimer, a German physician noticed psychological changes in some individuals so he further observed their brains during an autopsy and noticed a significant difference in brain size along with abnormal deposits in the brain tissue (1). Today Alzheimer’s is considered an epidemic, but is spreading rapidly on a global scale making it a global problem too (2). Unfortunately, Alzheimer's is fatal,
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 85. (Beattie, 2002) Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory. (Beattie, 2002)
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 Disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease dies and degenerate causing the loss of memory and mental functions. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.A. Alzheimer’s Disease is named after Dr. Abis Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a lady who had died of an unusual mental illness that was very unknown. The woman 's’ symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior that people with Alzheimer’s have almost often of times. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in this world and it’s thought to be the most progressive disease of all diseases. Also this disease gets progressively worse over time. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are sixty-five years old or older, however, almost five percent of the people have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Early-Onset Alzheimer 's is known as Alzheimer 's at a younger age which appears at the ages of forties and fifties. In early stage Alzheimer’s, memory lost is very mild. With late Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on conversations and respond to their environment. People with Alzheimer’s often live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 65–70% of all cases (Jellinger, Janetzky, Attems, & Kienzl, 2008). The other dementias are of the Parkinson 's group, the fronto-temporal group and the vascular group. The total worldwide yearly costs for the treatment and care of patients suffering from dementia are estimated to be around 250 billion US dollars. The lifetime risk for AD between the ages of 65 and 100 is 33% for men and 45% for women with an annual increase of 1–2% in the seventh decade to almost 60% in the 10th decade with doubling every 5 years (Jellinger et al., 2008). AD is incurable, and thus represents a major public health problem. AD represents a challenge to humanity due to its relatively recent discovery, progressive nature of the illness, and complex diagnosis.
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 common problem in today’s society and within the older population this disease makes up the largest form of dementia. Although it is a problem in mainly older people, this disease can still occur in the younger population also. People in their 30s-50s can be diagnosed with this disease, even though it is not as common as people in their 60s-90s. The number of people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. is close to five million and is expected to double within the next 30 years. With our modern medicine and advancements one would think a cure would be available, however, getting to the cause of the disease is a major factor. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is one that is very debatable and questionable and most likely is a result of multiple factors rather than one. The main issue with finding the cause is because this disease affects the brain and can
With the growing number of people becoming diagnosed, and experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, we must begin to take precautions and somehow attempt to gain knowledge of how the disease can be better treated, and ultimately prevented.
As we age, our bodies begin to deteriorate. The bones become brittle, the muscles and tendons atrophy, hair falls out, and our mental faculties begin to diminish. It can be difficult when it comes to aging but at times it is a beautiful, natural process of life. With age comes many difficulties and changes. One of them is a very serious and debilitating change that can impact one who is affected as well as those who may be caring for them and their families. This change is that of the disease Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. This disease affects more than 5 million Americans and continues to increase. With this disease on the increase, it begs the question if there is a way to prevent this debilitating disease or at least some kind of early diagnosis. Though there is no concrete way to determine the etiology of Alzheimer’s unless through autopsy of the human brain, there are ways to aid in the early diagnosis of this disease amongst the aging population for better and improved prognosis.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder(1-3) causing progressive loss of cognitive functions leading to dementia and death.(4) Older age is the highest risk factor for AD (3, 5) and the prevalence of AD rises from 3% among those 65-74years to almost 50% among those >85year(2). An estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages had AD in 2013(1). It currently affects more than 33.9million people worldwide(4) and is predicted to be affecting more than 80million people worldwide by 2040(3) which makes treating AD a pertinent issue to be dealt with at present.
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive neurological disease afflicting 24.3 million people worldwide. 4.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with this illness annually (Leifer, 2009). Victims of Alzheimer’s disease reach a stage when they are no longer self-sufficient. Those with severe symptoms or lacking family support systems are relegated to nursing homes. Although scientific studies indicate that Alzheimer’s disease leads to a loss of memory and independence, researchers have proven that caregivers are also affected both physically and emotionally. Research is currently being conducted in finding ways to treat Alzheimer’s and helping their caregivers in the process.
Alzheimer’s disease, first described in 1907, is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Ramachandran, 2016). This disease gets worse gradually over time. People, predominantly women, are expected to live approximately eight to ten years after diagnosed (Bird, 2015). According to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, there are approximately three million cases in the United States each and every year alone (Association®, 2016). People with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from a wide range of difficult incurable problems. Alzheimer’s disease is believed to prevent correct workflow of the 100 billion nerve cells in the human brain. Oxygen sluggishly being supplied to the brain causes several Alzheimer indicators to occur; memory loss, behavior changes, slurred speech, poor judgment, and hallucinations. According to Bird, 95% of patients with Alzheimer’s are over the age of sixty-five (Bird, 2015). At the age of sixty-five individuals brain activity starts to slow causing build-ups.
Even if I was a young child, I still vividly remember my grandfather being diagnosed with dementia almost twelve years ago. At the beginning of his diagnosis, I didn’t fully understand the weight of this discovery in regards to what it meant for our family for the years to come and how much my grandfather would change with dementia. Towards the end of his life, I began to understand the weight of his illness and that my time with him was limited. Even if his death three years ago has brought much grief to me and my family, it brought us closer together and encouraged us to reflect how much he made an impact on our life. Because my grandfather made such a positive and lasting impact on my life, I wish to help solve this problem that affected him and discover the cure to this frightening disease that affects millions worldwide.
Through out American there is estimated that 5.4 million americans are living with Alzheimer’s disorder, that being more than half of the population in America. Not only do people with Alzheimer’s suffer because of this disorder but also the people around them are impacted. There is currently no definite cure for the disorder but there are many researchers who have been experimenting trying to find a cure. Many researches have seen improvement in their patients by manipulating a certain area of their brain. The reason I decided to research this specific topic is for the reason that since I was a little girl I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field. I did not know what specifically but I knew I loved science. Coming to Da Vinci, I knew that senior year was approaching fast meaning I had to really think about what I wanted my major to be. And when senior year came in, being able to take anatomy was one of the best decisions for me. Anatomy was a glass in where I was always happy being in class, everything we learned in the class sparked my curiosity. One interest that was unlocked because of the class, was figuring out how the brain worked and how the brain was able to send so many different signals to the body. Finding my interest made it easier for me to choose my major as Biological sciences where I can do research and learn more about the human body specifically the brain. Knowing that Alzheimer’s is a really complex disorder that does not have much information