NEW ARTICLES  HOT ARTICLES  TOP RATED  ADD AN ARTICLE  UPDATE AN ARTICLE  GET RATED 
  HOME     MY ACCOUNT     POWER SEARCH     REGISTER     SUPPORT     SUGGEST CATEGORY  

Alzheimer's-The President's Disease
23061 Disease & Illness Apr 25, 2007 Alzheimer's-The President's Disease When Alzheimer's Disease is mentioned many people think of President Ronald Regan who struggled with the illness privately during the last years of his life. Because of Regan's struggle, a lot of information has been disseminated about Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is thought of as an "old people's disease" but it can strike people of all ages. Early-onset Alzheimer's refers to someone who is diagnosed with the disease and is under 65 years old. According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's slowly destroys memory, reasoning and ability to communicate and handle daily activities. In the later stages of the disease, those suffering from Alzheimer's may be agitated, anxious and delusional and totally dependent on a loved one or caregiver. Alzheimer's is a form of dementia, an illness that gradually destroys brain cells. This explains why Grandma may have remembered where she put her purse yesterday but forgot today. There is not specific test for Alzheimer's. A doctor usually diagnoses a patient with Alzheimer's after ruling out other causes for their behavior. No two Alzheimer's patients are alike. For some the disease progresses rapidly. Some see it progress slowly, sometimes taking up to 20 years before the disease is in its final stages. According to the Alzheimer's Association, most patients will go through seven stages: Stage 1. No impairment Stage 2. Very mild decline Stage 3. Mild Decline Stage 4. Moderate decline (mild or early stage) Stage 5. Moderately severe decline (moderate or mid-stage) Stage 6. Severe decline (moderately severe or mid-stage) Stage 7. Very severe decline (severe or late stage) The Alzheimer's Association has compiled a list of warning signs. Memory loss is the most well-known sign. Forgetting names or appointments every so often is normal, but forgetting information that was just given you may be a red flag that something is wrong. Alzheimer's patients may not be able to cook their own dinner or they may forget the way to the grocery store. Every day tasks become a struggle for the Alzheimer's patient. Alzheimer's patients may also forget what day it is and where they are. An Alzheimer's patient may forget how to get home and need assistance. Many Alzheimer's patients do things that a normal person would consider erratic. This is why telemarketers prey on the elderly--their lack of judgment may lead them to purchase a siding job for their brick home. Family members of Alzheimer's patients may come home and find the patient's shoes in the oven. it is common for Alzheimer's patients to misplace things or put them in an unusual place. Alzheimer's patients may also spend a lot of time sitting on the couch or may not get out of bed until late in the afternoon. The disease robs them of their desire to be around people. Their mood changes may also affect the Alzheimer's' patient's social relationships, since many have rapid mood swings. These personality changes may happened quickly, leading the Alzheimer's patient to become dependent on a family member or caregiver. Anyone who thinks they or their loved one is suffering from Alzheimer's disease needs to contact their doctor immediately. Doctors have yet to find a cure for Alzheimer's. Scientists are constantly researching the disease to find new treatments. Until a cure is found, family support and good medical care seems to improve the quality of life for those affected by Alzheimer's. For more information on Alzheimers, try visiting http://www.helpwithalzheimers.com - a website that specializes in providing Alzheimers related tips, advice and resources to include information on Alzheimers.

Write a Review   Add to My Favorite   Refer it to Friend   Report Article  

Average Visitor Rating: 0.00 (out of 5)
Number of ratings: 0 Votes

Visitor Rating


Other links at Disease & Illness
Certain foods can contribute to gout - find out which ones to avoid in order to control your symptoms.
Category:

Soil contamination as well as water contamination can occur in several different ways and can have extreme harmful reactions on the human body. Some of these illnesses and diseases that result from water and soil contamination range from liver and kidney
Category:

Panic disorder is something that many people go through and it is not always fun. When you are dealing with this type of disorder you need to make sure that you are keeping yourself healthy and able to move on. You need to do this so that you are not putt
Category:

During the early stages of alzheimer's disease, there is no problem of understanding of simple speech. However, difficulties in finding and expressing the correct word usage can start very early on in the disease.
Category:

What can you do when you are allergic to Soy?
Category:




Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics

Articles: 68222
Categories: 501

Yahoo Entertainment
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional   Valid CSS