About Alzheimers

Frank C. Adams asked:


There are scientific advancements that look promising for preventing and even reversing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive deterioration of the brain, first described in 1907 by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915). It is the most common form of dementing, or mind-depriving, illness, affecting cells in an area of the brain important to memory. Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimer’s syndrome most commonly strikes elderly adults, but it has also been known to afflict people in their late twenties. People with Alzheimer’s experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking and reasoning – problems severe enough to have an impact on an individual’s work, social activities and family life. Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the number of people affected. It is emerging to potentially become the largest medical problem facing the elderly in the 21st century. Currently there are as many as 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. A new person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 71 seconds, and because people are living longer Alzheimer’s disease has become a serious health problem that governments must face; this disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in America alone. Alzheimer’s disease is becoming tragically common. Over 12 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The direct and indirect cost of caring for Alzheimer’s victims in the United States alone is more than $100 billion a year. With these startling statistics, can anything be done to save our brains from this horrific deterioration? Will more seniors be able to avoid falling victim to Alzheimer’s as the elderly population increases? Are we finally getting close to a cure? The conventional medical approach is limited to pain relief and controlling some of the related symptoms by using expensive prescription drugs riddled with side effects. But in reality, extensive research reveals that proliferation of Alzheimer’s disease in society is a direct manifestation of our changed lifestyles. When people around the world experience similar problems, it’s not a random incident but a methodical process spreading across cultures and borders. You see, our lifestyle choices have gotten us into this mess. We need to make the right choices to get us out. The fact is the exponential increase in Alzheimer’s disease is really the result of the way our lives have changed. The bad news is we are used to living a certain way now and it isn’t easy to change. The good news is that change is in our power and with it better health. One way to help lower the risk of dementia and one that you can have responsibility for is to change your habits of life, eat healthily and take regular exercise. Currently, researchers studying Alzheimer’s patients have noticed that those who stay healthy and take specific nutritional supplements have slowed down and even reversed the decline. Yes, Alzheimer’s is NOT an incurable condition. Everyday now more and more people are finding that they can start to reverse their Alzheimer’s.

Jack

Garland Choate asked:


Personality change is an Alzheimer’s symptom that presents itself as the gradual development of mood swings, distrust, stubbornness and eventual withdrawal from the patient’s usual social circle. Depression is also a coexistent Alzheimer’s symptom alongside with growing restlessness. In its severe form, the Alzheimer’s symptom further develops into anxiety, aggressiveness and inappropriate behavior.

Old age is not a reason to stop learning new things. You can learn a variety of things, dancing, cooking, singing, a new language, crafts, the arts. There are so many things to choose from. Don the things that you have not done before, things that you never thought, you’ll be doing. Your age should not be hindrance to the things that you want to do.

One could trace back the history of Alzheimer’s disease from a presentation and lecture made by a German psychiatrist in 1906 during 37th Meeting of Southwest German Psychiatrists held in Tabingen.

What is known for a fact is that individuals begin to become susceptible to the disease at the age of 65 and above. It is also known that Alzheimers disease attack the brain and causes an abnormality there, which in turn causes the loss of normal functions in the body.

Age is known as a risk cause of Alzheimer’s disease. As a person ages, the likelihood that he or she will develop Alzheimer’s also increases. The average age of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s is about 80 years old. Gender is also seen as involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but studies for this may still be inconclusive. The reason as to why the risk is seen to be greater in women is that they tend to live longer than the men.

Alzheimers will rob one of the ability to do the things that used to come second nature to them. It is as if the individual with Alzheimers can no longer remember or are familiar with tasks or actions that used to be part of their everyday routine. Watch out for this telltale sale that is quite an indicator included in the early signs of Alzheimers disease.

Some states have nursing homes and reputable home care facilities to treat the patient. There are numbers in the directory as well as in the Internet that people can inquire.

The Alzheimer’s symptom will further lead to degeneration of a person’s ability to remember, reason, learn and even imagine. The Alzheimer’s symptom of forgetfulness can include the names of family members being forgotten as well as familiar everyday objects such as a comb and mirror.

Carla