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Archive for the ‘Alzheimers’ Category

Unbelievably, one out of ten people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, in a recent statistic polls, almost 19 million Americans suffer one way or the other from this dreaded progressive disease. Below are some information that you will find useful about the disease.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative problem characterized by memory loss as well as loss in thinking skills. It is actually part of a constellation of memory and brain problems called dementia. It can lead to behavioral changes, loss of language skills, disorientation, confusion and increasing dependency. Most experts believe that Alzheimer’s is caused by a problem in the genetic make-up and is often associated with old age.

What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

What is however difficult with this problem is the fact that the onset of the disease will often manifest in symptoms often associated with forgetfulness when getting old. What separates this problem though is the fact that people with Alzheimer’s will eventually even forget normal routines and simple tasks. For instance, patients with Alzheimer’s can forget how to hold a spoon and fork while others will forget how to brush their teeth and take a bath. Believe it or not, some medical experts even say that some even forget hoe to breathe, something which comes quite naturally with a person.

One problem though with this is the fact that one can actually have no way of knowing whether it is ordinary forgetfulness or Alzheimer’s when it is just in the initial stages. It can start with ordinary forgetting of names and faces until it progresses to something major that can render the person totally incapacitated.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Alzheimers. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease?

Although there are cases of Alzheimer’s that affected people in their 30s, most patients are over the age of 65 and a vast majority is over the age of 85. In addition to old age, experts believe that a family history of the same problem or of dementia may predispose someone to the disease. This is because experts pinpoint a defect in the genetic make up of the person who has Alzheimer’s disease.

People who are not much into mental pursuits or work that do not much involve mental strains will also most likely develop the disease compared to people who often stretch their mental muscles. In fact, one of the way to prevent the onset of dementia is to exercise the brain all the time especially during old age.

Even when one is already retired from work, old people should not forget to still use their minds by engaging in mental pursuits such as reading, answering crossword puzzles and even playing board games.

How do you diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease?

As mentioned earlier, it is extremely difficult for a person to differentiate an ordinary case of forgetfulness and dementia at the beginning of the progression. Some of the symptoms of the disease such as slow mental processing and forgetfulness may be attributed to other problems such as thyroid gland problems, reactions to medications that are being taken, and even just a normal aging process.

To really ensure that the problem is indeed Alzheimer’s, doctors rule out other possibilities and conduct series of tests. The only way actually to conclusively determine the presence of Alzheimer’s is to examine a cross section of the brain tissue when a person is already dead.

Is there really any information about Alzheimers that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Alzheimers and dementia are strongly linked because Alzheimers disease is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is the constant evolution of the atrophy of the brain’s cognitive functions. In the case of Alzheimers, abnormal protein build up happen in the brain which interferes with its normal functions through interactions with the brain nerves and neurotransmitters that cause these elements to whither and die.

Alzheimers and dementia are attributed with progressive memory loss and other functions that are attributed to brain deterioration. Natural brain atrophy and cognitive function loss is a normal experience by humans as we age. However, Alzheimers type of dementia is way beyond that of what is considered the norm.

Alzheimers type dementia is extremely debilitating and the disease can run its course from as fast as 5 years but some cases stretch on to 20 years. The disruption of Alzheimers type dementia can be very confusing and difficult. What’s really hard to accept is that as of the moment, there are no known cures or successful treatments available for Alzheimers patients.

Of all the types of dementia, only a very tiny percentage is reversible and Alzheimers is not one of them. Once it attacks, there can be no slowing or stopping down. All one can do is be prepared for the onslaught. In this case, it is also important the patient’s friends and loved one understand and know all about Alzheimers and dementia so that they too can be allowed to cope with this situation.

If you suffer from the very early stages of Alzheimers type dementia, it can be very difficult for you to accept what is happening to you while you are aware of your situation. Often times, patients can create very difficult situations for themselves as well as for the people around them. For instance, people with Alzheimers type dementia can have the same conversation with the same person over and over again without realizing it.

Perhaps a person with Alzheimers type dementia can forget that they have just previously called a loved one to tell them something only to put the phone down and call right back to talk about the exact same thing. Situations like these can cause difficulties that is why it is important for people with Alzheimers type dementia to have the proper care.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Alzheimers. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Loss of correct judgment will inadvertently follow as the Alzheimers type dementia progresses so it might be prudent for patients to be supervised all the time. Eventually, patients will have to depend exclusively on specialized care for all their needs. This makes it important for patients and their loved ones to choose the right facility for this process.

It is important that people with Alzheimers type dementia be treated with respect and dignity all throughout the duration of the disease. While the patient has not lost all ability to make judgments and remember important things, they should be consulted in terms of what facilities or type of professional care they think they would benefit from.

As a loved one of someone who has Alzheimers type dementia, it can be very hard and painful to witness the progressing of the disease. This may cause some negative emotions and a lot of grief that may be unwittingly projected at the patient.

However, at the onset of the disease, when the patient is still conscious and aware, they can go through an even more painful process of accepting their disease.

There’s no doubt that the topic of Alzheimers can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Alzheimers, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Alzheimers to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Alzheimers experts.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that robs millions of people each year of their memories, their personalities, and the ability to complete daily activities. The disease can greatly affect the quality of life of every sufferer as well as those people around him, most especially immediate family members.

For a long time, most people believe that there is nothing that could be done to prevent this awful disease. People came to accept it as a result of deteriorating of mental abilities due to age. It was considered as simply something that people had to cope up with when approaching their golden years of life. But doctors today have discovered and now consider Alzheimer’s as a disease that can be treated up to a certain extent.

The hallmark sign associated with Alzheimer’s disease is the gradual loss of memory especially in people of 65 years and older. Although forgetfulness is a sign of the said disease, it should also be noted that there are other signs that may also indicate the onset of this ailment. Before coming up with your own conclusions, it is best to know more about Alzheimer’s through its exhibited signs, how it can be diagnosed and how it will eventually affects the sufferer.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can be done through a series of tests. The patient exhibiting some signs of the disease must undergo a variety of laboratory tests, such as physical and mental assessments. As of late, there is no known single test available that will effectively diagnose Alzheimer’s in patients.

But with recent developments and advances in the medical field, doctors have been able to devise a set of Alzheimer’s disease testing tools that can help in effectively detect symptoms of the disease in its earlier stages.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

As of yet, there is no single definitive test that is able to determine if one has Alzheimer’s disease. But it is really a battery of testing that is available that makes it possible for physicians to diagnose Alzheimer’s with about 90 percent accuracy. Such battery of tests can take anywhere from one day to several weeks in order to ensure accuracy and the proper diagnosis.

Among the various tests available there is one set of tests that has recently been developed that will further help make diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease easier. A professor of psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has developed a new tool for testing called the Seven Minute Screen that can test people for the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease as well as other forms of dementia.

The said test, developed by Paul Solomon, is actually a set of four tests that can be administered to patients in just less than ten minutes, can also be completed on average of just seven minutes and forty three seconds. What makes the said test even more convenient is that it can be administered by any medical professional with just over an hour of basic training.

The short time that it takes for completing the whole test is an attractive option for doctors who may not have the luxury of time when they are diagnosing patients with Alzheimer’s.

This type of test is just a part of a much larger effort by medical researchers to develop better ways of detecting Alzheimer’s early. A likely option that some researchers are trying to look into is the use of brain scanning technology such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to identify even the smallest damage to the brain before any impairment in cognitive ability ever show up in people likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Other possible approaches being studied involve looking for gene abnormalities in patients that have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

There’s no doubt that the topic of Alzheimers can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Alzheimers, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, owner of this excellent site: Product Profits Club (click to claim your FREE membership)

People tend to forget certain things because of work and other priorities. This is not uncommon because this does happen to everybody. However, when an individual tends to forget even the simplest things, there is already something definitely wrong. There is a chance that one has Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder in the brain. In time, the patient will gradually lose both the intellectual and social abilities making it difficult to do anything and even interact with others.

This disease commonly afflicts people above 65 years of age. There are currently 4.5 million Americans that are suffering from this disease. It is projected that this number will increase, as the more population will reach the retirement age.

There is no known cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease. The only thing medical science can do for now is simply delay the inevitable for those who have just been diagnosed with the disease.

Is Alzheimer’s disease the same as dementia? The answer is no. This is because dementia is a symptom, which is caused by a disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease.

There are many symptoms for this disease. It may begin with the person simply forgetting certain things. It is hard to tell at this point but when it gets worse such as not knowing how to get to the office or get home, then there is definitely a problem.

Some patients are known to forget how to do some simple mathematical computations or even find the right words when writing a letter. There are those who are also disoriented and find it difficult to do certain tasks and make simple decisions.

The worse of these symptoms is perhaps experiencing personality changes even in the presence of family members and close friends. There are times the person is happy and then this will just change for no reason at all.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

A neurological scan is the best way to check if the patient has Alzheimer’s disease. If it is confirmed, the individual has this problem, the best way to treat it is through the use of medical prescribed drugs.

There are two namely memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors. Studies have shown these can slow down the process as scientists are still conducting research to finally find a cure for this disease.

Patients who are diagnosed with the disorder will probably live more for 8 more years. This will really depend on how strong the person is because some have lived for 3 while others have fought with it for more than 10 years.

How can family members help a loved one with this disease? The siblings can take turns watching over the patient. If this is not possible, this is the time that a caregiver must be hired to check on the patient. This specialist will usually stay in the home and make sure the person is safe.

Physical and mental exercises must be administered to keep the patient’s strength up and even help depression, which is another symptom commonly, associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Whenever the people visit, it is best for each person to stay in the line of sight of the patient. It is best to speak slowly and even hold on to the individual, which is known to make the sufferer remember who he or she is talking to.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, owner of this excellent site: Product Profits Club (click to claim your FREE membership)

Alzheimer’s is one disease that people dread to be diagnosed with. Who can blame them?

It is one of the most debilitating disease known to man and it affects not only one area or one system but all. Of course, since it is a progressive disease, effects on the various systems of the body does not happen at one time.

As the disease progress, the effects become wide-range.

Alzheimer’s disease is perhaps the best-known disease under Dementia, a disorder that affects the mental processes. It is characterized by the progressive loss of memory that may lead to inattentions and inability to focus at a task, language problems and behavioral changes.

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease for instance may initially find themselves at a loss for words or unable to remember some bits of facts that happened the day before. But as the days progress, they will find themselves starting to forget important things like their addresses, their age and sometimes even their names.

Patients who are in the later stages of Alzheimer’s will start to forget how to do routinary things like brushing their teeth, taking a bath or using their utensils. Some may not speak altogether because they will often forget the words that they should be using or saying. Some will also behave differently, brought on by the frustration of not being able to do the things that they used to do. Often times, patients at the later stages will become dependents, acting like children who do not know what to do with themselves.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Alzheimers now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Although there are medicines that can slow down the progress of the disease especially if discovered early on, there is no solution to the problem. Once it settles into the system, it would be there for life and there is no chance of it ever disappearing.
Like medicines, there are activities that according to scientists can slow down the progression. Below are just some of them:

Read

Something as simple as reading the newspaper everyday and keeping your mind informed with the latest news is already something that can prevent the disease from settling in. Just make it a point to use your brain. Be an analytical reader and raise questions and do not just absorb the texts and then forget about it. Being an active reader and allowing your imagination free reign will go a long way for exercising the brain. In fact, studies have shown that people who love to read are less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Answer puzzles

Another mental exercise that people with Alzheimer’s do to help slow down the process is to answer puzzles such as word hunts, cross words and even Sudoku. The more that you use your brain, the better will be your prognosis. Answering word games will also make sure that you practice words and increase your vocabulary, making it less likely for you to forget words and language.

Attend classes

Being old does not mean that you cannot learn. Patients with Alzheimer’s should make it a point to learn something new. This will exercise their brains. Creative tasks such as arts and crafts is another way to tap into the brain’s resources without tiring them out. Learning a new thing also gives people with Alzheimer’s the sense of purpose that they have lost since they were diagnosed with the disease.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Are you looking for some inside information on Alzheimers? Here’s an up-to-date report from Alzheimers experts who should know.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder. Its gradual effects on the brain are relentless as a sufferer’s memory is progressively destroyed and along with it, the capability to learn, make judgments, and communicate. The disease will eventually make it difficult for the sufferer to even carry out normal daily tasks to the point of total disappearance of any capability.

It is a very difficult circumstance to be in, to watch a family member seemingly ?waste away? bit by bit. The sufferer’s the struggle to maintain some form of sanity despite the condition is often too much for many relatives to bear that they, sadly, distance themselves from the sufferer instead of giving support.

It really pays to know more about Alzheimer’s and better understand the condition lest you find yourself or a member of your family in this type of situation. Knowing the warning signs early on can help you cope up with the disease earlier where there might still be some chance at minimizing the damaging effects of Alzheimer’s. Knowing what to look for will not only help you but also your friends or loved ones who might also have the odds against them in developing the said debilitating disease.

It is of the utmost important to understand some of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s. While memory loss is reasonable and is an expected symptom of aging, the type of memory loss symptoms of Alzheimer’s are significantly greater and are often accompanied or followed by other tell tale symptoms. People suffering this disease often have difficulty with general cognitive abilities such as communication, thinking, reasoning, comparing, and learning new skills.

Short-term memory is what Alzheimer’s disease usually affects first. Sufferers tend to forget family names and even how to perform simple daily tasks. However, long-term memory is somehow attained with Alzheimer’s disease where some patients may even retain the ability of remembering events from the past.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Alzheimers. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Another sign shown by patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease is the gradual loss of verbal communication skills. Instead of speaking up, sufferers will begin to communicate their feelings, preferences and needs through body language and facial expressions more frequently. Perception is another area that can be affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

It may be difficult to set up a clear warning sign level as some of the symptoms exhibited by Alzheimer’s sufferers might just be a part of normal behavior. Such symptoms may even be related to another ailment entirely. But when you see such signs being exhibited by someone near to you or someone that you know, you should never be quick to rule out Alzheimer’s as a possible reason. Here are the ten basic warning signs for Alzheimer’s to always look out for:

?Gradual loss of memory
?Difficulty performing simple everyday tasks
?Problems with language
?Disorientation
?Declining judgment
?Inability to perform complex mental tasks
?Misplacing certain everyday items
?Noticeable behavioral changes
?Increased confusion, fear and suspicion
?Loss of initiative

As of the present there are no Alzheimer’s treatments that will totally cure, prevent or reverse the onset of the disease or its gradual progression. What doctors can do is try to treat many of the disease symptoms such as loss of memory. The good news is that as new discoveries about the disease are being made, it won’t be long before effective Alzheimer’s treatments will be made available.

Try to consult with a qualified physician in order to help eliminate some symptoms that might look like true Alzheimer’s and to effectively distinguish between the many other causes of dementia, some of which are completely treatable.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still struggling with trying to cancel my Phonera account

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Alzheimers is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Alzheimers.

More than 4 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Statistics show that the number of sufferers will continue to increase as more people will reach the retirement age.

People who are diagnosed with the disorder do not have to be confined in the hospital. The best Alzheimer’s care facility does not cost much because the patient can be treated in the comforts of one’s home.

What are the changes that need to be done to the home? The good news is, none. Those who are taking care of the patient should just be sure it is clean, clutter and noise free at all times.

If the family members are busy with other things, an ad can be placed in the paper or someone can call the agency to have a caregiver look after the sufferer. These specialists are trained to give aid to the patient.

What activities are done in the care facility? For starters, memory exercises will be done so the patient can still remember the names of the family members. A basic one will be through the use of flash cards that have the name and photo of the person.

Most of the time, the caretaker will be beside the patient. Instead of doing nothing, it wouldn’t hurt to strike up a conversation. It does not have to be anything serious but just enough to keep the person active because an inactive mind may lead to depression.

The individual should always make eye-to-eye contact when talking to the patient at the same time speaking slowly and clearly for the other person to understand.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Alzheimer sufferers tend to wander off. The patient could walk to the end of the street or even walk farther without the caretaker even knowing and that is worse. A failsafe system must be put in place such as making sure the doors and windows are locked at all times.

Should the patient manage to get out, the second fail-safe will be to attach a bracelet or a card. This will make it easy for someone to return the person home or be informed where the sufferer can be picked up.

The Alzheimer’s care facility is open 24/7 with most of the concentration spent at night. This is because the symptoms are more active during this time so the best way to calm the patient down is through a little exercise.

The patient can help do the dishes or work on the laundry. A cup of warm milk or tea can be given. If this doesn’t work, perhaps going for a little stroll together outside for a little exercise may make the sufferer sleepy and go off to bed.

Some states have nursing homes and reputable home care facilities to treat the patient. There are numbers in the directory as well as in the Internet that people can inquire.

The individual should not be surprised should the place not accept just anyone who can no longer take on the burden of taking care of the loved one because of the limited space and the stage of the disease.

The person can choose to pay a huge sum or spend the remaining days with the loved one close to home to at least have a few good memories until the patient will finally go off to a better place.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just joined this Free Website Traffic generation site

One of the most dreaded diseases in old age is Alzheimer’s disease. Although unlike cancer and heart problem, this is actually not fatal. In fact, people with Alzheimer’s can live for a long time with proper care. That is actually the problem most of the time.

With Alzheimer’s disease, the patient need to be taken cared of all the time. This is because the memory loss will often render the patient incapable of thinking and reasoning. Some will even forget how to do the simplest of tasks, like brushing their teeth and even eating with a spoon and fork.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive and degenerative disease that affects the brain. The problem often leads to massive memory loss not only in terms of one’s memories but also one’s learning. Patients will forget everything that they have learned even routinary tasks that they have learned when they were just tots. Some people will also find it hard to learn new things and may even lose their language abilities. They will have difficulties in their speech and in their writing.

Because of this, caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease can be extremely difficult. It is actually like caring for a newborn babe but while a baby will slowly learn to function independently, patients with Alzheimer’s will lose what they have learned and will slowly become more and more dependent with their caregivers. Thus, it is important to find a caregiver that is both professionally-capable and caring as they will determine the progress that the patient will have as well as their over all condition and behavior.

Here are some tips in finding a good caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient.

Choose a professional

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Alzheimers than you may have first thought.

It is good to look for a person that is already well experienced in caring for people with Alzheimer’s. Not only will their experience come in handy when it comes to dealing with the patient’s medicines and medical routines, they will also be more patient because of prior knowledge.

One problem though in hiring these kinds of people is the money that you will shell out for their salaries. Private nurses and caregivers are expensive enough as it is without adding the burden of a specialization. If you just cannot afford to hire someone with enough experience, try one who has worked with old people and then give him or her materials that will make them familiar with the basics of the disease.

Choose someone you know

Nothing beats hiring someone that you already know or someone that you have already seen working. Patients with Alzheimer’s will have a lot of quirks and behavior that can be extremely irritating and difficult to deal with. Thus, it is important that you choose someone that you know will have a lot of patience and care.

Of course, if a member of the family can spare the time for the patient, that is good. If not, you can ask for recommendations from people that you know. Chances are they know someone who can take care of a patient with Alzheimer’s.

Choose someone strong

Although this is actually not a major issue, it is also important that you choose someone who can deal with the patient and the often back breaking tasks. Remember that because the patient is full- dependent on the person, they will sometimes need to carry them or guide them when walking.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just joined this Free Website Traffic generation site

The only way to keep up with the latest about Alzheimers is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Alzheimers, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.

Alzheimers information is important for individuals who may be at the first stages of this disease. However, it is also very important for friends, family and caregivers of people with Alzheimers disease to have enough Alzheimers information to be able to understand the process of the progression of the disease as well as what to expect and what is the best care and treatment for this.

To understand Alzheimers more, we need to look at and understand dementia. Dementia is a mental disorder characterized by the loss of cognitive abilities. It is an extremely debilitating disease that afflicts some individuals in their old age. Alzheimers information shows that Alzheimers disease is the most common form of this disorder that greatly impairs normal mental operations.
There is no certain prevention or cure for Alzheimers disease right now but continuous studies and tests are being made toward this endeavor because according to Alzheimers information, this disease is irreversible. The disease also continues to progress into different stages and symptoms of this worsen over time.

One of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimers is short term memory loss. It then progresses into a gradual decline of other cognitive abilities. After the disease has progressed further, one may notice a marked change in the sufferer’s behavior and at the very last stages of the disease, the individual with Alzheimers will have to depend on others for simple activities such as eating and mobility.

Alzheimers information tells us that the course of the disease varies from person to person with a range of five to twenty years. Alzheimers eventually ends in death due to complications and infections.

Although more and more Alzheimers information has been collated and researched throughout the years, the progress has been steady but slow. For instance, the Alzheimers information on what causes the disease is still uncertain. There are some major hypotheses that seem to revolve around two factors: genetic or hereditary and a complex environmental interaction.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Alzheimers now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Alzheimers information shows us that it is primarily a disease that affects the brain. It is in the abnormalities in the brain that result in massive atrophy of the brain’s neurotransmitters, nerves and neurons. From these stem the malfunctions that begin with short term memory loss to sever impairment to memory and the loss of motor skills and other normal bodily functions.

An abnormally large deposit of protein in the brain causes the massive atrophy. The absolute detection of Alzheimers can only really be done post mortem through an autopsy where the brain is examined and it shows a significant amount of shrinkage and a smoothening of the usual brain wrinkles.

However, one need not wait for an autopsy to find out whether one is suffering from Alzheimers disease or not. With modern Alzheimers information, one can have an 85 % to 90% accuracy in the diagnosis of the disease. No laboratory tests are done.
Instead, there will be some cognitive tests and with a series of exercises and questions that are crossed checked against other possible sources of dementia. These mental tests done to be able to diagnose Alzheimers help also by letting the physician know at which stage of progression the sufferer may be at.

Individuals with the age of 65 and above are most likely to be at risk of Alzheimers.

Is there really any information about Alzheimers that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this guide about List Building – how to build a 1000 member list in a month

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Alzheimers. When you start sharing the fascinating Alzheimers facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

Alzheimer’s disease, we’ve all hear of it but do we really understand the disease? According to statistics, there are about 350,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed each year in the United States.

Doing the math, you could have more than 4.5 million Americans by the year 2050 that would be affected by the disease. A grimmer outlook indicates that by 2025, there will be 34 million people worldwide Alzheimer’s disease.

Let’s tackle the issue step by step. Alzheimer’s disease is a known brain disorder that is progressive and irreversible. It is still not known where and how the disorder develops in the human brain neither is there any sure fire cure for the disease. What is known by medical scientists is that the disease attacks slowly.

It takes its time, gnawing slowly at the victims’ minds stealing memories and causing deterioration of brain functions. Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes irreversible dementia and is always fatal.

It was German psychiatrist Dr. Alois Alzheimer who first identified the disease. At first he noted the disease’s symptoms as “amnestic writing disordear,” however when later studies were conducted Dr. Alzheimer found out that the symptoms were more than ordinary memory loss. It was far worse.

Dr. Alzheimer found the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain. The good doctor presented his findings which were accepted by the medical community. And soon enough, by 1910 the name of the disease was accepted and became known as Alzheimer’s disease.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Alzheimers, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

The most common early symptoms of the disease are confusion, being inattentive and have problems with orientation, personality changes, experiencing short-term memory loss, language difficulties and mood swings. Probably the most obvious and striking early symptom of Alzheimer’s is loss of short term memory.

At fist the victim will exhibits minor forgetfulness, but as the disease slowly progress he/she will start to forget a lot of things. However, older memories are oftentimes left untouched. Because of this, patients with Alzheimer’s will start to be less energetic and spontaneous. As the disease progress, they will have trouble learning new things and reacting on outside stimuli which gets them all confused and causes them to exercise poor judgment. This is considered Stage 1 of the disease.

At Stage 2 the patient will now need assistance in performing complicated tasks. Speech and understanding is evidently slower. At this stage, Alzheimer’s victims are already aware that they have the disease which causes a whole lot of problems like depression and restlessness.

At this point, only the distant past can be recalled and recent events are immediately forgotten. Patients will have difficulty telling time, date and where they are.

The final stage is of course the hardest, both for the patient and their family. At Stage 3 the patient will start to lose control of a lot of bodily functions like simple chewing and swallowing. He/she will start getting the needed nutrients through a tube. At Stage 3, the patient will no longer remember basically anyone.
They will lose bowel and bladder control and they will become vulnerable to third party infections and diseases like pneumonia.
Once the patient become bedridden, things will only get worse. Respiratory problems will become more terrible.

It is apparent that the patient will need constant care. At this point, the most one can do is to make sure that the patient stays as comfortable as possible. At the terminal stage, death is inevitable.

Knowing enough about Alzheimers to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about Alzheimers, you should have nothing to worry about.

About the Author
Have you seen Anders’ latest site for fun and leisure? This one is great if you want learn about Free Movie Downloads