Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a deadly neurodegenerative disease that is hard to diagnose, test, and treat. Alzheimer’s was discovered by and named after Alois Alzheimer in 1906. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. “Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life” (Alzheimer’s Association).
This disease becomes worse over time and fatal. Alzheimer’s is the seventh leading cause of death in America; there’s about 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.
To begin with, recognizing the symptoms will probably be easiest part of having Alzheimer’s. Although everyone forgets things at times, people with Alzheimer’s usually forget the name’s of family members or try to have a conversation with someone that they already had. They also experience personality changes; they might be angry one moment and later become depressed. At times the person might feel disoriented. For instance, they forget the date or feel lost in their own homes. The familiar tasks the person once performed become unfamiliar and feel new. As the disease progresses these symptoms become more prominent.
On the contrary, diagnosing and testing for Alzheimer’s is easy. The doctor will ask the patient if about any current or past illnesses they’ve had or that have occurred in the family. At times the doctor might ask for the patient to bring in a list of prescriptions the patient is on to try and find a tie between the medication and the disease. The Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) is the most common examination for Alzheimer’s. The examiner might ask the patient to repeat a phrase or count from 100 backwards by 7. The bigger the score the patient receives, the milder the case is. At times they might have to see a neurologist to receive a neurological exam. The neurologist examines coordination and balance, eye movement, and speech. At times the neurologist might need to do some brain imaging such structural imaging or functional imaging. Although brain imaging is used to locate tumors, it can also show degeneration in certain areas of the brain.
The Research paper on Running Head Immunotherapy For Alzheimers Disease
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In addition to the difficulty of the testing and diagnosing, there isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. But not all hope is lost because there is treatment for the disease. “One federally funded study showed that vitamin E slightly delayed loss of ability to carry out daily activities and placement in residential care” (Alzheimer’s Association).
There are alternative treatments being tested such as coenzyme Q10, coral calcium, ginkgo biloba, huperzine A, and omega-3 fatty acids. But there are concerns about the effectiveness and safety of these treatments. As for the standard treatments, there is two types used to treat the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease; cholinesterase inhibitors are used to prevent the break down of acetylcholine. Memantime regulates the activity of glutamate, another neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.
Thus, living with this disease is hard to live with not only for the person with Alzheimer’s but also for their family and friends. As time goes by this disease becomes more fatal, the patient forgets who their family is. Although the testing is easy to come by, it’s very expensive and some people can’t afford these exams, but if one talks to their medical provider they can help lower the cost. Possible treatments are being tested right now to see how effective and safe they are. Hopefully, we can find a cure for this disease in the near future.
The Term Paper on Alzheimers Disease Alzheimer Brain Loss
Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer! |s disease is a slow, progressive, and degenerative disease of the brain. This disease is marked by a gradual loss of memory and other cognitive functions. 'Alzheimer's Disease is also known as the most common cause of dementia -- a general term referring to the loss of memory and the ability to think, reason, function, and behave properly' (Medina, 1999). It ...
Works Cited
“Alzheimer’s Disease.” Mayo Clinic Foundation for Medical Research and Education. 17 Jan. 2009. 23 July 2009.
“Alzheimer’s Disease Center.” WebMD. 2005- 2009. 23 July 2009.
“What is Alzheimer’s Disease.” Alzheimer’s Association. 23 June 2009. 23 July 2009.
