Alzheimer S Disease Essay

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Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in

impaired memory, thinking and behavior (Internet). It is a degenerative disease

affecting nerve cells of the frontal and temporal lobes of the cerebrum of the

brain. The disease is the major cause of presenile dementia (i.e., the loss of

mental faculties not associated with advanced age) and is thought to be the

largest single cause of senile dementia as well (Britannica, 306). It causes the

connections between cells to become ineffective and the cells themselves to

shutdown and eventually die (Davies, 1). Alzheimer’s is a progressive,

irreversible, fatal neurologic disorder that affects an estimated 4 million

American adults. It is estimated by 2040,approximately 14 million Americans will

be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Approximately 9% of the population

older than 55 years and 20% of those older than 85 years have Alzheimer’s

Disease. The duration of AD averages 2 to 10 years but can be up to 20 years. By

1992, Alzheimer’s Disease was the fourth leading cause of death among adults

(more than 100,000 American deaths per year). It is projected that the number of

people with Alzheimer’s Disease will triple in the next 50 years. This

epidemic of dementia is not confined to sex, race, social, or economic class.

The public knows this disorder as “senility”, although the term

Alzheimer’s is becoming more common (Rosdahl, 1356). According to a quote from

Hasselbring “ Alzheimer’s disease.” Medical Self-Care 53-

57,January-February, 1986, a 61-year-old woman in early stages of Alzheimer’s

disease stated, “My mind goes to an empty and horrible place. When I come

back, I’m in a room full of strangers. I fell so lost and afraid.” Many

Alzheimer’s patients echo these sentiments. The disease is frightening and

disabling (1356). Alois Alzheimer, a German neuropathologist, originally

described the disease in 1906. In the autopsy of a 55-year-old patient who had

died with severe dementia, Alzheimer noted the presence in the brain of two

abnormalities (Britannica, 306). Recent studies have shown that in the autopsies

of the brain of people who have died from Alzheimer’s, there is much higher

concentration of aluminum than is normal (Weiner, 17). Accounting for about half

of all dementia cases, Alzheimer’s is more common in certain groups. Women are

at higher risk, so are those who have a first-degree relation with the disease,

or a history of head trauma (RN magazine, 26). Unfortunately, many people fail

to recognize that these symptoms indicate something is wrong. They may

mistakenly assume that such behavior is a normal part of the aging process; it

isn’t. Or, symptoms may develop gradually and go unnoticed for a long time.

Sometimes people refuse to act even when they know something is wrong. It’s

important to see a physician when you recognize these symptoms. Only a physician

can properly diagnose the person’s condition, and sometimes are reversible.

Even if the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s disease, help is available to learn how

to care for a person with dementia and where to find assistance. Ten warning

signs to watch for are: (1) memory loss, (2) difficulty performing familiar

tasks, (3) problems with language, (4) disorientation of time and place, (5)

poor or decreased judgement, (6) problems with abstract thinking, (7) misplacing

things, (8) changes in mood or behavior, (9) changes in personality, (10) loss

of initiative (Internet). Typical problems that should alert us that a person

needs some kind of help are repeated car accidents, getting lost, losing things

and not recalling the previous day (Davidson, 13). Symptoms of the illness

represent deficits in many areas of how a person remembers and thinks. For

instance, problems with memory may be manifested as forgetting names, dates,

places, whether a bill has...

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