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Alzheimer’s disease defined: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025. Alzheimer disease generally occurs in people over seventy five years of age; however it does strike people in their forties, fifties, and sixties, but this is rare. When Alzheimer’s disease occurs prior to the age of sixty five, it is referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s. The major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are: Forgetfulness Confusion Dementia in the later stages of the disease Scientists know that Alzheimer disease is characterized by a gradual spread of sticky plaques and clumps of tangled fibers that disrupt the organization of nerve cells in the brain. However , a definite cause, prevention, or cause has not been found. A myth about Alzheimer disease says that nothing can be done about the disease. This is not true. Much can be done to assist the person with Alzheimer’s disease to maintain the highest possible level of functioning as long as possible and in providing the highest quality of life. Available medications: Several medications are available that may, in some individuals, improve symptoms or temporarily slow the disease progress, including: Cognex, Aricept, Exelon, and Reminyl. Other drugs are now being tested and could be marketed in the near future. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease : There is no quick and easy way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. In fact a diagnosis can only be conclusively arrived at following autopsy of the ... ... middle of paper ... ...using words your patient is used to and will understand. Clarify your message with body language, tone of voice, facial expression touch and gestures. In the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the individual makes little or no effect at communication, and their verbal responses are limited, often one word or just a sound. You must continue to be attentive to how your patient communicates their needs and especially careful to communicate care and concern through touch, facial expression and tone of voice. Communication plays a major role in preventing and resolving behavior problems and enhancing your patient’s quality of life by allowing them to feel, even when they no longer know or recognize those around them that they are in the midst of people who care about them and are concerned about their physical and emotional well being.
Alzheimer’s disease got its name from the German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he noticed that there were abnormal clumps and bundles of fibers i...
Alzheimer's Disease Introduction to Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. It was first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915). in 1905. This disease worsens with advancing age, although there is no evidence. that it is caused by the aging process.
I have been able to observe the consequences and problems having Alzheimer’s disease may cause for a family through my grandfather. My grandfather did not seem to be sick, but it was slowly evident that he was forgetting some aspects of his life. When my mother and I visited him, he would occasionally forget who we were. It was truly heart-breaking to watch someone you knew your entire life somehow become a new person. Unfortunately, he passed away from complications a few years after his diagnosis. The moral is Alzheimer’s changes how you think, feel, and act, but it is not a complete game changer. People should seek aid from professionals and create an adjusted environment for themselves. People should surround themselves with support and love. After all, Alzheimer’s affects the brain, not the heart.
In 1906, a German physician named Dr. Alois Alzheimer dealt with a patient that had been battling severe memory and confusion problems and had tremendous difficulty understanding questions and basic functions. Alzheimer suspected that the ailment had more to it than inherent memory loss. During an autopsy of the brain, he discovered that there were deposits of neuritic plaques surrounding the nerve cells and twisted fibers, known as neurofibrillary tangles, inside of the nerve cells. These observations became the definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The plaques and tangles that develop are a natural part of aging; however, they develop far more aggressively in Alzheimer’s victims. The plaques and tangles then block communication among nerve cells and disrupt the cells processes, eventually killing them. This destruction causes memory failure, personality changes, and problems carrying out everyday functions. Alzheimer’s especially attacks the memory. A victim in the later stage of the disease can...
... 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.
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 signs of Alzheimer’s can be beneficial to both the patient and his family. Finally, once the patient has been diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s, a plan for treatment as well as providing the family and caregivers with a support system can help ease those involved through a very challenging, heartbreaking time.
...hed and streamlined to allow for earlier diagnosis. In the case of tertiary prevention, the pharmaceutical companies have a huge financial incentive to create a cure for Alzheimer’s but that is not enough. More government funded research should be dedicated towards finding methods to delay or cure Alzheimer’s disease. The baby boomer generation has already entered their 60’s. As people live longer, as a result of new treatments for common killers such as heart disease and cancer, the chances that they will succumb to Alzheimer’s increases. Failing to find preventative or curative measures will be costly. On a personal level, Alzheimer’s disease slowly attacks cognitive function-the higher thought processes; individuals degenerate into infantile dependents. The cost of caring for increasing numbers of such dependents will be a burden on both family and society.
However, for over 5,000,000 million people, that was not the case (Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia | Alzheimer's Association.) Once diagnosed, people have several options and risk to consider concerning their own physical, mental, and emotional health. At the present time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are various treatments and clinical trials in which people can become involved. In most cases, non-drug treatments are utilized following diagnoses. Non-drug treatments vary from environmental changes, to monitoring comfort levels, to ensuring a person has adequate rest on a regular basis. The purpose of non-drug treatments is to develop habits while dealing with the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease so one will be better prepared when symptoms intensify as the connections within the brain begin to deteriorate. The deterioration of connections in the brain often leave a person with behavioral problems as well. Behavioral problems range from sleep-disturbances, to aggression, and to emotional distress on a regular basis, and even hallucinations and delusions. In order to handle behavioral changes effectively, it is important for a person with Alzheimer's disease to have a support network, such as family, that can help with coping and adjustments as needed. The next step to consider after diagnoses and non-drug treatments
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s will vary depending on the stage of the disease. These symptoms include loss of language, depression, insomnia, delusions, illusions, hallucinations; physical, mental, and emotional outbursts. People with Alzheimer’s also have a hard time with daily activities and start to behave different than normal. . There are four different stages of Alzheimer’s; not all patients will experience all stages and some may be worse than others. ‘Stage one typically last one to three years, and the patient doesn’t really have an awareness of the disease. Some typical behavior at this stage are personality changes, forgetfulness, and social withdraw. Stage two will last between two and ten years. Patients will have profound memory loss, violent outbursts, loss of motor skills and language. Stage three is usually the last stage identified and lasts eight to twelve years. Patients cannot perform basic daily activities will have severe impairment to all cognitive functions, and inability to recognize family members. On rare occasions a very severe stage four is identified. This stage is characterized by loss of all abilities and loss of one’s self.’ All of these symptoms can be related back to a lack of acethycoline, and damage to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. (Forsyth & Ritzline,
Alzheimer’s disease was first to discover in 1906. Throughout the years, advancements and technology have helped majorly, but there is still no
Alzheimer’s is present in over 40 million individuals worldwide, with over 5 million being in the United States. Various organizations and institutions, such as the G8, have begun referring to Alzheimer’s as an epidemic, and one who experts fear could affect over 100 million people by the 2020’s. As of today, Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and will only continue killing as the lifespan of U.S. citizens continues to rise. While many hopeful researchers are aiming to have a sound cure and or treatment for Alzheimer’s soon, the grim truth of the matter is that as of today millions are being plagued by this disease with no true curative treatments available.
Alzheimer's disease is the source of the destruction or decline of brain cells or nerve cells. As a result of damaged nerve cells, the brain may have fewer bonds as compared to healthy brain cells. Amyloid plaques are outside the cell and are clusters of protein, Neurofibrillary tangles are proteins too, but they are inside the cell. It has not been confirmed on whether or not these protein clumps have any effect on Alzheimer’s or not, but they are ...
The history behind Alzheimer’s was an example of never ending investigating. Alzheimer’s disease is named after German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, who was the first researcher to describe it. He studied a 51-year-old woman whose personality and mental abilities were deteriorating.The woman was forgetful, became paranoid, and acted strangely. After the woman’s death, Alzheimer examined her brain during an autopsy. He noticed an unusual thickening and tangling of the brain’s nerve fibers (Alzheimer’s Disease”-1). Specifically, he found development of clumps. The clumps are known as amyloid plaques, and the tangled regions are called neurofibrillary tangles. Both are huge parts of Alzheimer’s disease (“Alzheimer’s disease”-2). He also found that the cell bodies and nuclei of nerve cells had disappeared. Alzheimer also noted that these changes indicated some new, unidentified illness. More than seven decades would pass before
There is still no known fact on how the Alzheimer’s disease process begins. They seem to think that the damage to the brain starts a decade or more before problems become evident. During the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease, people are asymptomatic, but unfortunately there are toxic changes taking place in the brain. Abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the brain, causing the once-healthy neurons to work less efficiently. Over time, neurons lose the ...
Alzheimer’s Disease is named after a German doctor, who specializes in the brain and nervous system, named Alois Alzheimer. This Disease forms in the brain. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to enter. The Tau protein ensures the tubes in your brain stay straight allowing molecules to pass through freely. In Alzheimer’s Disease the protein collapses into strands or tangles, making the tubes disintegrate. There is visible differences of brain tissue in the from misfolded proteins called plaques and tangles. Beta-Amyloid clumps block signals and communication between cells in the brain. Researchers agree that Alzheimer’s Disease is m...