Alzheimer's Causes To The Brain example essay topic
The effect that Alzheimer's has on the brain causes people to behave and think in very unusual or unexpected ways and it changes their moods and personalities. My grandpa, who suffered from Alzheimer's, has displayed many of these unusual behaviors throughout the course of his disease. One behavioral problem is getting lost and confused. A person with the disease may suddenly not know where he is (Medina 28). My grandpa got up one night to go to the bathroom, and must have forgot where he was, or where he was going, because he urinated in a kitchen drawer instead of the toilet. People with Alzheimer's might have the desire to wander, which can be both dangerous for the person suffering from the disease, and frightening for family and friends.
A person may wander out of his or her own house because they are unhappy with where they are living; or they may wander from room to room, with no particular purpose (Medina 28). While my family was getting together for an Easter celebration, we suddenly realized that my grandpa was not there. We searched frantically around the neighborhood, and finally found him down the road, confused. Alzheimer's may cause people to have trouble expressing their feelings (Medina 28). Many times my grandpa would try to tell us something. He often mumbled and used his hands to try to express what he was saying, but it was very hard for him to communicate.
Most of the time we could not understand what he was trying to say. Mood changes are very common for those suffering from Alzheimer's. One of these changes is anxiety. Anxiety can be caused by confusion and worry.
One may not know why they are experiencing it and they become frustrated (Medina 28). They might also become irritable. "She may get suddenly angry as the caregiver attempts to assist her with some task. She might throw things around the room, lash out at the caregiver verbally, even attempt to hit the caregiver" (Medina 28). Depression is another effect of Alzheimer's. This can occur whether the person is aware of his or her own disease or not.
Another thing that a person experiences with Alzheimer's may be paranoia. One may misinterpret their environment. .".. (One) may hear the sound of a fire siren, for example, and think it is a police wagon, coming to take him away" (Medina 29). Also a person might hear quiet noises and think that someone is whispering behind their back (Medina 29). It is very common for someone who has Alzheimer's to forget the names of their loved ones.
It may seem as though the person does not remember their loved one at all, when in reality they can't make the connection that the person they are seeing with their eyes is the person that they know in their memory (Medina 29). My grandpa once called my grandmother the name of his previous wife. Not far into his disease did he forget his grandchildren's names and our relationship to him, but we could tell by his actions that he recognized us in some way and still loved us. According to the Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's Disease, there are theories of what may cause Alzheimer's (46). Currently, however, there is no known cause, it is incurable, and it always ends in death. The damage that Alzheimer's causes to the brain hurts the nervous system so severely that the rest of the body is affected.
"The immediate cause of death is often some kind of complicating illness, such as infection, pneumonia, or dehydration. But the actual cause of death is Alzheimer's disease" (Medina 144). Alzheimer's is a complicated and grief-filled disease that causes people to behave and think in ways that we are not used to. It effects the brain so severely that a person's mood and personality slowly change. Those suffering forget where they are, the names of their loved ones, and many other things.