Alzheimer's Disease: Terminal Disease

When my grandmother reached the age of 80, all of us inside the house always give attention to her. She acted as a little child and do the things the little child is doing. My grandmother couldn't identify her children. She had 7 children but even one of them she could not remember. All of us inside the house were aware that our grandmother is experiencincing an Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. This disease is named after Alois Alzheimer, who discovered it in 1906. this generative and incurable Alzheimer's disease occurs amongst people aged 65 years above. Families, close relatives and ffriends of Alzheimer's patients know, that taking care of such patients is a challenging task. Spending everyday with such patients is demanding in terms of looking after their safety, addressing new issues and taking care of them. Activities for Alzheimer's patients are meant to keep such patients engaged in the most productive ways and in a way, to help them cope with the disease.

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Although the course of Alzheimer's disease is unique for every individual, there are many common symptoms. The earliest observable symptoms are often mistaken thought to be age-related concerns, or manifestations of stress. In th early stages, the most commonly recognized symptoms is inability to acquire new memories, such difficulty in recalling recently observed facts.

As the disease advances, symptoms include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown, long term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the suffereras their senses decline. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Individual prognosis is difficult to assess, as the duration of the disease varies. AD develops for an indeterminate period of time before becoming fully apparent, and it can progress undiagnose for years. The mean life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years. Fewer than three percent of individuals live more than fourteen years after the diagnosis.

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What are the causes or risk factor of Alzheimer's disease?

Here are several factors which are known to be linked to a higher risk of developing the disease:

Age. After the age of 65 the risk of developing Alzheimer's doubles every five years.

Family History. People who have a close family member who developed Alzheimer's have a slightly higher risk of developing it themselves-just a slightly higher risk.

Down's syndrome. People with Down's syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, which contains a protein that exists in the brain of people with Alzheimer's.

Whiplash and head injuries. Some studies have identified a link between whiplash and head injuries and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Gender. A higher percentage of women develop Alzheimer's than men. As women live longer than men, and Alzheimer's risk grows with age, this may partly explain the reason.

Mild cognitive impairment. A person who has just mild cognitive impairmnet has memory problems but not Alzheimer's. His/Her memory is worse than other healthy people of the same age. A higher percentageof people with mild cognitive impairment develop Alzheimer than other people.

Heart disease risk-factors. People with the risk factors of heart disease- high blood presure(hypertension), high cholesterol, and poorly controlled diabetes-also have higher risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is a terminal disease and has no cure. However a doctor can prescribe a medication which can help slow down the progression of the disease, and other sign that can improve the signs and symptoms of this disease.

Resources: en.wikipedia.org

www.buzzle.com

www.medicalnewstoday.com