Activity A Person With Alzheimer's Disease Age example essay topic

Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is the lost of thinking, remembering and reasoning so bad it screws up ability to do daily functions and eventually resolves in death. Dr. Alois Alzheimer's first discovered the disease in 1906. Since then research has developed a deeper understanding of the changes in the brain. Warning sign's of Alzheimer's are memory loss that affects home and job skills, problem in speaking, poor judgment, and difficulty in learning.

The last stage of Alzheimer's disease is when you " re unable to take care of yourself. The disease can last from 3 to 20 years from the time of onset of symptoms. Alzheimer's disease affects as many as 4 million Americans. It can affect almost any age but still is more common in the elderly. As ageing population continues to increase, so does the disease.

Today, 3% of the people ages 65 to 75 have alzheimer's, 10% of those aged 75 to 85 have alzheimer's and half the age 85 may have it to. Without a new cure it is estimated that alzheimer's will affect over 14 million people by 2050. The elderly are the most infected with the disease and its still spreading. Other disease in common with Alzheimer's is multi-infract dementia, Huntington's disease, Pick's disease, and Parkinson disease. People wonder if Alzheimer is genetic "meaning runs in families" the answer is the evidence isn't clear. Doctors and Physicians say if you have a by blood family member with Alzheimer's there's a slightly greater chance of getting or having the Alzheimer's disease.

Many wonder if memory loss is a natural part of aging. The answer is yes and no, everyone has forgotten where he or she parked their car or the name of an acquaintance a one time or another. And many healthy individuals are less able to remember certain kinds of information as they get older. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are much more severe than simple memory lapses.

This chart will kinda help you understand the difference. Activity A person with Alzheimer's Disease Age- associated memory loss Forgets Whole experiences Parts of Experience Remembers Later? Rarely Often Can follow written or spoken directions Gradually unable to remember remember remember Usually able to remember Can recite ABC's Rarely close to Never Often can remember The Ninds, which means National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is part of the National Institute of heath supports and conducts research on Alzheimer's disease. Recent research has shown links between particular genes and Alzheimer's disease, but in bout 90% of Alzheimer's cases; there is no clear genetic link. With help of standardized diagnostic criteria, physicians can now diagnose Alzheimer's disease with an accuracy of 80-90% once symptoms occur.

However definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is possible only through the examination of brain tissue at an autopsy. Scientist still isn't certain what causes the disease. Scientist is exploring the role of genetics in the development of Alzheimer's disease, focusing on chromosome 19. Rare forms of the disease, which strike people in their 30's & 40's often run within families and appear to be related to chromosome 1, chromosome 14, and chromosome 21. Many researchers and physicians are coming to believe that Alzheimer's disease is a complex disease, probably caused by a variety of influences. To help those are affected by Alzheimer's disease an association has developed a checklist of common symptoms.

If you recognize several of these warning signs in yourself or loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services. There are ten different warning signs. 1.

Memory loss, one of the most common early signs of Alzheimer's is recently learned information. Its normal to forget appointments, names, or telephone numbers but those with Alzheimer's will be much worst and more often and might not remember later. 2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks, like people with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them.

A person may not know the steps for preparing a meal, using a household appliance, or participating in a lifelong hobby. 3. Problems with language, like everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer's often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making his or her speech or writing hard to understand. If a person with Alzheimer's is unable to find his or her toothbrush, for example, the individual may ask for "that thing for my mouth". 4. Disorientation to time and place, it's normal to forget the day of the week or where you " re going.

But people with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home. 5. Poor or decreased judgment, no one has perfect judgment all the time. Those with Alzheimer's disease may dress without regard to the weather, wearing several shirts or blouses on warm day or very little clothing in cold weather.

Individuals with Alzheimer's often show poor judgment about money, giving away large amounts of money to telemarketers or paying for home repairs or products they don't need. 6. Problems with abstract thinking, balancing a checkbook may be hard when the task is more complicated than usual. Someone with Alzheimer's disease could forget completely what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them. 7. Misplacing things, anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key.

A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer, a wristwatch in the sugar bowl, or a sandwich under the sofa. 8. Changes in mood or behavior, everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer's disease can show rapid mood swings-from calm to tears to anger-for no apparent reason. 9. Changes in personality, people's personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age.

But a person with Alzheimer's disease can change a lot, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful, or dependent on a family member. 10. Loss of initiative, it's normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations at times. The person with Alzheimer's disease may be very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or not wanting to do usual activities.