Alzheimer’s Disease Stages and Symptoms

Alzheimers Disease Stages and Symptoms ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurological disease majorly characterized by â€Å"decline in the brain function† and â€Å"memory loss†. The disease involves mainly three stages. Different chemical factors and possibly genetic factors are responsible for causing the disease. Symptoms can be treated by provision of the sufficient supplements to reduce the risk of the disease. Techniques are also available for the treatment and detection which are being expected to be more advance in future. INTRODUCTION Alzheimer’s disease is severly deliberating condition that affects thinking, learning and memory beginning with declines in the (1)episodic memory. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Many scientists believe that Alzheimer’s disease results from an increase in the production or acc umulation of a specific protein(2)(beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death. The likelihood of having Alzheimer’s disease increases substantially after the age of 70 around 50% of persons over the age of 85 may be affected by it. Nonetheless, Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that happens inevitably in later life. For example, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: Usually, the onset of Alzheimer’s disease is gradual and it is slowly progressive. Most often, family members initially think memory problems as â€Å"a normal part of aging† but these problems noted by the family can be the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease. When other problems along with memory problems also occur start to consistently affect the usual level of functioning;families begin to suspect that something more than â€Å"norma l aging† is going on. Commonly early memory problems in Alzheimer’s disease are particularly characterized by â€Å"short-term memory†. For example, the individual may, on repeated occasions, forget to turn off an iron or fail to recall which of the morning’s medicines were taken. Early illness may show mild changes in personality such as less spontaneity, apathy and a tendency to withdraw from social interactions may occur. Problems in abstract thinking and in other intellectual functions also develop as the disease is progressed. The person may begin to face problems such as trouble with figures when working on bills, with understanding what is being read, or with organizing the day’s work. This point of the disease may also show further disturbances in behavior and appearance, such as agitation, irritability, quarrelsomeness and a diminishing ability to dress appropriately. Later in the course of the disorder, affected individuals may become conf used or disoriented about what month or year it is, be unable to describe accurately where they live, or be unable to name a place being visited. Eventually, patients may wander, be unable to engage in conversation, erratic in mood, uncooperative and bladder and bowel control is lost. In late stages of the disease, persons may become totally incapable of caring for themselves. Cosequently, (3)pneumonia can occur which can lead to death or some other problem can occur due to severely deteriorated states of health.