What Is Alzheimer's?

[Marcus]

Alzheimer’s (AHLZ-high-merz) disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations. There are now more than 5 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s disease. This number includes 4.9 million people over the age of 65 and between 200,000 and 500,000 people under age 65 with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Dementia Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a group of conditions that all gradually destroy brain cells and lead to progressive decline in mental function. Vascular dementia, another common form, results from reduced blood flow to the brain’s nerve cells. In some cases, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia can occur together in a condition called "mixed dementia." Other causes of dementia include frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Parkinson’s disease. See Related Diseases for more information.

Progression of Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease advances at widely different rates. People with Alzheimer’s die an average of four to six years after diagnosis, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years. The areas of the brain that control memory and thinking skills are affected first, but as the disease progresses, cells die in other regions of the brain. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer’s will need complete care. If the individual has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself will cause death. For more information, please see Stages.

Early-stage and early-onset Alzheimer'sEarly-stage is the early part of Alzheimer’s disease when problems with memory, thinking and concentration may begin to appear in a doctor’s interview or medical tests. Individuals in the early-stage typically need minimal assistance with simple daily routines. At the time of a diagnosis, an individual is not necessarily in the early stage of the disease; he or she may have progressed beyond the early stage.

The term early-onset refers to Alzheimer's that occurs in a person under age 65. Early-onset individuals may be employed or have children still living at home. Issues facing families include ensuring financial security, obtaining benefits and helping children cope with the disease. People who have early-onset dementia may be in any stage of dementia – early, middle or late.

(c)2007 Alzheimer's Association. All rights reserved.

[abenzio]

Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common cause of dementia, afflicting 24 million people worldwide. Alzheimer's is a degenerative and terminal disease for which there is currently no known cure. In its most common form, it occurs in people over 65 years old although a less-prevalent early-onset form also exists. The disease can begin many years before it is eventually diagnosed. In its early stages, short-term memory loss is the most common symptom, often initially thought to be caused by aging or stress by the sufferer. Later symptoms include confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline. Gradually the sufferer loses minor, and then major bodily functions, until death occurs. Although the symptoms are common, each individual experiences the symptoms in unique ways. The duration of the disease is estimated as being between 5 and 20 years.read more...

[anne012]

Alzheimer's disease affected brain. it is affect man's thinking and learning abilities. it is very dangerous disease. so everyone know that disease and must know how to product themselves.


- ----------------------------take care------------------------


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anne



http://www.addictiontreatment.net

[jhazline2818]

According to some theories, Alzheimer’s disease is something to do with brain. The brains of people with Alzheimer disease exhibit two scientifically different structures: amyloidal plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Both the plaques and tangles consist mostly of protein and are thought to interfere with brain function and contribute to the dementia that is a hallmark of AD. And it has two symptoms, the Cognitive and the Behavioral symptoms. Cognitive could be memory loss, disorientation, confusion and difficulty with reasoned thought. Behavioral symptoms are agitation, anxiety, delusions, hallucinations, depression, insomnia and wandering. Usually the cause of this is progressive destruction and death of nerve cells on the brain. Until now there is no other way of treating this disease but the FDA has approved a drug that may help to slow the progression of this disease.
___________
jhazline2818
Problem With Drugs or Alcohol? This Drug Rehab has Helped Thousands of Individuals to Recover. http://www.drugrehabcenter.com

[skericheri]

The article...12 Point Understanding the Dementia Experience is one of the best that I've read explaining many aspects of Alzheimer's. Unfortunately is is long and appears to be available in PDF format only.

Don't know if this link has already been posted..but the article can be found at:

http://www.alzheimer.guelph.org/downloads/12%20pt%20Understanding%20the%20Dementia%20Experience.pdf

[JimLasVegas]

Thanks for that skericheri, I will look forward to reading that. WOW! Twenty-seven pages...better load up the printer.

(EDIT) Greatest, most all-encompassing thing I've ever read on dementia. Everything is there and helpful advice too!

[jenny7oh]

The fact that alzheimers is so debilitating for some scares the hell out of me. I believe in God but sometimes I look at my mom and get scared. I know I can handle the situation but I feel like I'm not doing enough.Toomany things too little time type of thing.Im embarrassed to say it-I never admitted this out loud but here it is. color=blue][/color]

[skericheri]

Jenny---I don't know what statement you edited out...It was gone before I read your post. Whatever it was don't feel ashamed or guilty. Try to remember that you are not alone... I doubt that there is anything that you could have typed that I or most caregivers do not, have not, or will not have felt at some point in time.

Each morning I wake up afraid because I do not feel that I can handle every potential situation. Each night I go to bed wondering what the next day will hold.

[Marcus]

[Patrica04]

wow cant wait to read this!!
27 PAPGES!!

summer read...lol...jk!

Thanks so much

[smithson]

Thanks. It is very helpful message to the people.

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smithson

New Jersey Alcohol Addiction Treatment

[Marcus]

Alzheimer's Disease At A Glance
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disease of unknown cause that leads to dementia.
Most patients with Alzheimer's disease are over 65 years of age.

There are 10 classic warning signs of Alzheimer's disease: memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation to time and place, poor or decreased judgment, problems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, changes in mood or behavior, changes in personality, and loss of initiative.

Patients with symptoms of dementia should be thoroughly evaluated before they become inappropriately or negligently labeled Alzheimer's disease.

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, treatments are available to alleviate many of the symptoms that cause suffering.

The management of Alzheimer's disease consists of medication based and non-medication based treatments organized to care for the patient and family. Treatments aimed at changing the underlying course of the disease (delaying or reversing the progression) have so far been largely unsuccessful. Medicines that restore the defect, or malfunctioning, in the chemical messengers of the nerve cells have been shown to improve symptoms. Finally, medications are available that deal with the psychiatric manifestations of Alzheimer's disease.

Reference: Alzheimer's Association

[seker]

What is Alzheimer’s disease
It is a condition which gradually destroys our neurons (brain cells). This process is called neurodegeneration. It described clinically with a cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s disease primarily effects the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus which are the parts of the brain. While cerebral cortex is involved in the higher functions of the brain like thinking, decision making, reasoning, sensation and moving, hippocampus is associated with memory and learning.

[jayesh]

The people are losing their moral while becoming modern. The society needs to be attentive that moral values. Well things needs to be modernized but keeping intact with moral values.

john

animation

[rhermen]

I agree that people need a strong moral compass in their lives. My sincere thanks for the clarity of this thread in helping those like myself to understand Alzheimer's Dis-ease. Thanks especially go to skericheri for posting the link to the 12 points of AD (27 pgs) article.

I'd like to ask this question if I may:

It has been stated in this thread that the USA has about 5 million of the world wide total of 24 million cases of Alzheimer's. This calculates to the USA having roughly 21% of the total. And yet, the USA has somewhat less than 5% of the total global population.

According to ALZ talk's home page, there are 5.3 million Americans and 35 million total world wide cases. Still this is a disproportionate number because it appears (depending on which figures are used) the USA has 3 to 4 times the occurance of Alzheimer's per capita compared to the global average.

Are there any scientific studies or explanations for this rather large discrepancy?


Randy