What is Alzheimer's? It is a disease that affects the central nervous system, digestive system, the neuromuscular system and is generally a disease that is chronic and incurable. 4.7 million people greater than the age of 65 live with the disease each and every day, which is approximately one tenth of the population for those over the age of 65. The most common questions are: what are the risk factors, which vary from person to person, whether or not there are signs and symptoms and has there been any testing and diagnosis on this disease. Well the first question usually asked by a vast majority of those in the age range for such a disease is am I at risk for Alzheimer's. First you need to know the risk factors involved when discussing …show more content…
There are so many signs and symptoms that correlate to the Alzheimer's disease, which include but are not limited to: having a worsened ability to take in and remember new information, impairments to reasoning and changes in personal behavior. Usually those who have Alzheimer's will have a hard time taking in and remembering new information, meaning they will ask repetitive questions or start conversations that were previously mentioned. A lot of times they will also misplace their personal belongings and may even forget important appointments or their grand-children's baseball game. When you have the Alzheimer's disease you may also find out that you get lost very easily on a commonly traveled route. Finally the question everybody wants an answer to, are there tests that can be done to find out if I have Alzheimer's and if I do have it is there a diagnosis of this disease? Before go too far it should be known that there is not a single test for this disease and finding out if you have it can be a very strenuous procedure. A doctor can do any number of things from taking down the history of your family to arranging for brain scans to be done. The things that are most commonly done however are: taking down family history, doing a physical examination and even doing cognitive testing. Even in recent studies is has been found that using peanut butter can help diagnose the Alzheimer's disease. The
During the onset of the disease, symptoms are usually non-existant, and progress slowly over the course of many years, often going unnoticed until they become more severe. Alzheimer's is somewhat difficult to diagnose, but there are some common symptoms to all patients. Memory loss occurs in all patients. The person may have trouble remembering small things such as phone numbers, or where he/she put the keys. Eventually, short term memory is lost, and only memories in the far past are able to be recalled. People with Alzheimer's can become disoriented and can get lost easily when out on their own. Mood changes also occur, and the person can be easily irritated or agitated by seemingly insignificant things. Cognitive deterioration also occurs, with the person losing the ability to understand spoken language or recall the meanings of different words (Grayson, "Recognizing Alzheimer's" 1). Despite these common symptoms, making a diagnosis is difficult since Alzheimer's patientscan display the same symptoms as a head injury or depression.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease with many different stages that slows one’s lifestyle and has no real cure. Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. The disease first appears around the age of sixty. Studies have concluded that as many as 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. A person with Alzheimer’s loses connections between neurons in the brain (1).
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder, meaning that the disorder gets worse over time. It is the most common cause of dementia among people over the age of 65 and it is thought that up to 4.5 million people have Alzheimer's disease,
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. For most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60; however there is no specific age that a person can get the disease. If you are between the ages of 30 and 50, the disease is called Younger on-set Alzheimer’s.
A common misconception of Alzheimer 's is that it is a disease of only old age. However, up to five percent of patients have early onset Alzheimer 's, known as younger-onset, which often appears in someone in their forties and fifties. Correctly diagnosing the disease at these ages is difficult, due to the fact that symptoms of the early stages are nearly impossible to detect.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that eventually destroys memory and other other very important functions. First it starts with mild confusion and the patient has a hard time remembering. Soon after that they may get much worse
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, degenerative brain disorder that slowly diminishes memory and thinking skills, eventually destroying the brain’s cognitive ability to carry out even the simplest of tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. One in three seniors in America dies with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. “Dementia is a general term that describes a group of symptoms-such as loss of memory, judgment, language, complex motor skills, and other intellectual function-caused by the permanent damage or death of the brain 's nerve cells, or neurons.” Alzheimer’s is not a part of aging even though increasing age is a risk factor but Alzheimer’s occurs in people 65 and older. Alzheimer’s worsens over time. In the early stages memory is lost and then gradually goes to where they can’t hold a conversation or remember their surroundings.
Common signs of dementia include memory loss, especially with loss of memory for recent events such as forgetting messages, remembering names or asking the same questions repeatedly. Increasingly having difficulty with tasks and activities which require any organisation and planning. You may become confused in unfamiliar environments and have difficulty finding the right words and also have difficulty with numbers, for example handling money in shops. There would be changes in personality and mood and you might suffer from depression.
The most common early symptom of Alzheimer 's is difficulty remembering newly learned information, since Alzheimer 's changes typically begin in the section of the brain that affects learning. As the disease spreads throughout the brain, it leads to increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behavior changes, and confusion about events, time and place. In addition, some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers, such as keeping track of monthly bills or following a recipe. Some individuals experience vision problems, causing difficulty in reading, judging distance, and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving. People with Alzheimer 's may also have new problems words regarding speaking or writing, such as trouble following or joining a conversation. They might stop in the middle of a conversation and be confused about how to continue, or may repeat themselves. Unusual changes in judgment or decision-making is one of the many symptoms patients experience as well. Patients also
According to the webpage, “What are the 7 Signs of Alzheimer’s,” there are seven stages that someone with Alzheimer’s goes through. During the first and second stages, doctors and family members would not notice that the person has the disease because the memory loss is not quite visible yet. The third and fourth stages are when it starts to become noticeable. The person may have trouble coming up with
According to the National Institute of Health, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease of the brain. It features progressive loss of the brain’s nerve cells over time which results in a decline in thinking processes and other cognitive abilities. Alzheimer’s disease affects 15 million people around the world, and 4.5 million persons in the United States, alone. At least one in 10 persons over the age of 65 will suffer from Alzheimer's and almost half of those over the age of 85. This number is set to go up considerably as the Baby Boomer generation ages.
To be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, you must have experienced a decline in cognitive or behavioral function and performance compared to how they were previously. This decline must interfere with their
Study’s show that there are more than three million U.S. cases per year. Many people
with memory, thinking and concentration. The form of dementia is a term for the loss