Alzheimer's Disease
One of the Thousands of Genetic Disorders
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's Disease is a specific type of dementia that can cause loss of memory, changes in behavior, and thinking or language skills. To be more specific, Alzheimer's Disease is a multi-factorial disease. Lots of different influences, or causes can trigger Alzheimer's Disease.
Alzheimer's Life Expectancy
It is said that since doctors cannot find what triggers Alzheimer's Disease, they can't make an educated guess of a person's life expectancy. It is said that older people who have Alzheimer's Disease have a shorter life expectancy, while younger people have a longer life expectancy.
Founder of Alzheimer's Disease
Dr. Alois Alzheimer. founder of Alzheimer's Disease, discovered this disease in 1906. After a woman had passed away, Dr. Alzheimer went and looked at her brain. He saw that she had a smaller brain that the average size. Before the woman passed away, she said she kept forgetting basic things she used to know.
Healthy Brain VS. Alzheimer's Disease
On the left side of the brain, that is what a healthy brain looks like. I f you have Alzheimer's Disease, that is the brain on the right. Over time, the brain starts to shrink and that's what creates memory loss, or behavioral changes, and more.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
There are very many symptoms to getting Alzheimer's Disease. For example, memory loss, short-term memory, confusion about the place you are at , or what time of the day it is. Forgetting children's names, or spouses names, help determine early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Disease shows various symptoms for developing that specific disease.
Confusion of Time or Place
Forgetting what time it is, and where you are is a symptom of Alzheimer's Disease. You can notice if someone has Alzheimer's Disease if they constantly ask where they are at, or what time it is.
Memory Loss
This man is showing his wife pictures of their family. She is suffering from memory loss and he is trying to help her get better,mentally. He is explaining what all their name are to see if she might remember.
Mood Changes
Noticing a drastic change in someone's mood or personality can be a result of Alzheimer's Disease. If someone's is happy, and suddenly becomes angry can be a sign. If you notice any signs, contact a doctor, or the Alzheimer's Association.
Interesting facts about Alzheimer's Disease
There are massive amounts of people throughout the world suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. This is because the disease is dominant and is passed from parent to offspring. For example, 2,4 million people out of 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease. One to two people, out of 100, have Alzheimer's Disease by 65. Also, one out of every five people get Alzheimer's Disease by age 80. Did you know, that every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's Disease?
Diagnostics Test for Alzheimer's Disease
There are only a limited amount of tests to determine if someone has Alzheimer's Disease. Blood tests, mental status tests, and brain imaging tests are best ways for finding out if that person is developing Alzheimer's Disease. Complete health history tests, and standard medical tests aren't as effective as the others, but they still give up-to-date information.
Can Alzheimer's Disease be Prevented?
There is no way to prevent someone from getting Alzheimer's Disease. The doctors are trying to figure out what causes Alzheimer's, and they are getting closer. The healthcare helps to try and slow down Alzheimer's disease by deciding what the best treatment would be. Certain medicines have been proven to slow down Alzheimer's Disease. For example, Aricept, Namenda, Exelon , and Razadyne have helped lower the speed of Alzheimer's Disease. Physical exercise, like running or walking have helped people have a smaller chance of getting Alzheimer's Disease.
In this picture below, a person is running and staying fit. That is one of any ways to prevent Alzheimer's Disease from starting.
Organizations and Support Groups for Alzheimer's Disease
There are a variety of groups to help families or even patients deal with Alzheimer's Disease. Genetic counselors help explain how someone got that disease, or disorder. Also, they get information from family history to explain what will happen next. Therapists help talk about troubles in someones life or even their feelings. The best organization group is the Alzheimer's Family Organization. They are professionals that hep families who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease. They know what the best thing to do is, so it doesn't affect a loved ones life.