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A terrifying disease indeed, Alzheimer's has to this date caused confusion and much speculation in the medical world. What is Alzheimer's? How does it occur? How can it be detected? Who is most susceptible to contract it? All of these are common questions doctors and medical researchers ponder on; questions that are investigate the fundamental roots of Alzheimer's [as well as other diseases].
With these questions being unanswered, it can be only known that Alzheimer's exists and takes over the lives of approximately 4 % of US s elderly population every year with the number on the rise. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that is growing in numbers every single year. People over the age of 65 are the ones that need to worry most about getting it, yet some people that are younger can still get it. This disease is a terrible disease and can be scary and frustrating. Doctors have a very difficult time diagnosing it because there are so many things that are similar to this disease. This disease not only destroys the lives of the victims, but also can ruin the lives of the people that take care of them.
At this time there is not a cure, but many scientists are working very hard to find a cure for this terrible disease. Today there are almost 4 million Americans that suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is estimated that this disease will claim 14 million victims by the year 2050. Experts believe this because of greater life expectancy (Beck 36). Meanwhile, almost 4 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 to 74 will get this disease.
For the people between the ages of 75 through 84 it is expected to strike ten percent, and people over the age of 85 have a 17 percent chance of contracting this horrifying disease (Larson 517). It can also strike the lives of people in their forties or fifties, although this is not that common (Fish 19). Undeniably, Alzheimer's is an extremely terrible disease to get because one loses memory, self-pride, and independence to care for one's self. Because so little information is known about this disease by the public and even medical experts, it is described as a "silent disease" (Frank 13). In 1906 a German psychiatrist and neuro pathologist by the name of Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered and named this disease.
He had a female patient that was experiencing memory loss, confusion, depression, and hallucinations. She died in a nursing home at the age of 55. Dr. Alzheimer wanted to conduct an autopsy to see if he could figure out exactly what had caused her mysterious death. He discovered "two startling abnormalities, inside and outside the brain cells. " Tissue lying inside the cell bodies or nuclei of neurons exhibited an abnormally high number of fine nerve fibers or filaments, twisted around each other. He called these twisted fibers neurofibrillary tangles.
He also saw unusually high numbers of fibrous plaques located between brain cells, composed of degenerating terminal dendrites or burned out nerve endings that surrounded fibrous amyloid protein. These abnormalities were known as senile or neuritic plaques. (Fish 63) Today there are many different theories of what causes Alzheimer's. Some experts believe that the intake of too much aluminum may play an important role in what causes Alzheimer's, although there is no evidence yet (Gallo 64). Others believe that there are "three genes that are somehow part of the problem" (62).
Yet other scientists suspect that it could be some sort of viral defect (Mace 383). Some scientists even believe that head trauma may be the cause of this horrifying disease. Some studies showed that people who have had head injuries in the past get this disease more than people who have not had any head injuries (384). It may also be possible that Alzheimer's disease is hereditary and passed on through the genes (Frank 55). Some scientists believe that the amount of mitochondria in the cells may play an important role in what causes Alzheimer's disease.
They have found that 8. 3 percent of Alzheimer's patients had a "mitochondrial DNA mutation. " This can possibly leave the brain cells "starved of energy, " and in turn cause them to die (Travis 84). Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that leaves its victims confused, disoriented, and dependent on others. It is hard for the victims to even realize that they have the disease in the early stages. Relatives or close friends of the victim may not even realize what is happening because it is so gradual. They may think that the victim is acting the way they are due to old age. The first stage of Alzheimer's can last anywhere from two to four years.
The first thing that starts to happen is usually memory loss; victims may forget events or names. They may also have a hard time concentrating on something or learning new things (Fish 66). Then they may become confused and disoriented. Victims might get lost and forget the day, month, and year easily.
The person may have a difficult time completing sentences when talking. He or she may be unable to follow directions. Victims can also have a difficult time completing familiar tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and performing their job. The victim's mood changes and this leads to depression (67). Last of all they may neglect their personal hygiene, such as brushing their teeth or taking a bath (68). In the early stages of Alzheimer's there is a gradual loss of mental and physical abilities (Frank 15).
The victims seem to suffer physical damage to some parts of their brain (21). This damage to the brain is in the form of lesions, "abnormal changes in the brain cells themselves. " Lesions can only be observed clearly during an autopsy of the brain (22). These lesions are usually found in the limbic system or other parts of the brain that help in the controlling of memory and learning. The presence of lesions somehow disturb brain cells, and in turn cause one to lose one's memory (23). As previously stated, Alzheimer's is an extremely difficult disease to recognize or diagnose in the early stages. Other illnesses are similar in the way that they affect the brain and some mental disorders are also similar.
Mental confusion, irrational behavior, and loss of memory is classified under dementia (31). For a doctor to find out if a patient has Alzheimer's he must find a way to rule out possibilities of the patient having some other "depending illness. " The doctor asks various questions about the person's general health and present condition to help in ruling out other "dement...
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