FREE ESSAY ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's Disease is a brain disorder which gradually destroys the ability to reason,
remember, imagine and learn. It's different from the mild forgetfulness normally found in
older people. Over the course of the disease, people with Alzheimer's no longer recognize
themselves or much about the world around them. Depression, anxiety, and paranoia often
accompany these symptoms. Although there is no cure, new treatments help lessen
Alzheimer's symptoms and slow it's progression.
Alzheimer's is marked by abnormal clumps and knots in the brain cells. For reasons not
fully understood, these abnormalities tangle and take over the brain tissue and effects
the area of the brain associated with intellectual function.
Over four million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's. Slightly more
women than men have Alzheimer's disease. While the disease usually affects those over 65
years of age, a rare and aggressive form of Alzheimer's can happen in some people in
their 40's and 50's. Alzheimer's disease progresses slowly, taking between three to 18
years to advance from the earliest symptoms to death; the average duration of the disease
is eight years. Death does not result from the disease itself but from some secondary
illness such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection.
Stages of Alzheimer's:
? At the very beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease it is marked by simple
forgetfulness, especially of recent events or directions to familiar places and in some
cases, personality changes. 
? The next stage of the disease is characterized by greater difficulty in doing things
that require planning, decision making and the use of judgement. Eventually, people with
Alzheimer's can't do simple daily tasks to live such as eating, bathing and using the
toilet. They may also lack interest in personal hygiene and appearance and lose their sex
drive. They may have a hard time recognizing everyone except those they come in contact
with on a daily basis. Communication of all kinds become increasingly difficult as
written and spoken language skills digress. Withdrawal from family members begins and the
person becomes easily agitated and is in denial of the illness.
? In the last stages, people with Alzheimer's become bedridden, unable to recognize
themselves and their closest friends and family members. They may make small, purposeless
movements and communicate only by screaming out occasionally. Essentially, the brain
forgets how to live.
Currently, doctor's can't diagnose Alzheimer's disease with 100% certainty until a brain
autopsy is performed after the person's death and reveals the disease's markers (abnormal
clumps and knots in the brain cells). Although, diagnosis of Alzheimer's is largely
determined by doctors experience in dealing with demented patients and symptoms, experts
estimate patients with symptoms of Alzheimer's are accurate 90% of the time. 
Risk Factors
The four most prominent risk factors for Alzheimer's disease include:
? Increasing Age
? Family history, genetics, Down syndrome
? Being Female
? Environmental Factors
The main risk factor for Alzheimer's is increasing age. The older you grow, the greater
your risks. Studies show from age 65 - 74, about 3% of people have this disease. From age
75 - 84, the number rises to about 19%. And for those 85 and older, Alzheimer's afflicts
47% of people. Currently, the U.S. population is aging, with people over 85 becoming the
nation's fastest growing age group. Because this is also the group most affected by the
disease, experts warn that unless researchers discover how to prevent this disease, by
the year 2050, approximately 15% of those over 65 might have Alzheimer's. 
The risk factor of simply being female is especially interesting to me. Studies show that
compared with men, women are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Women
also have a treatment option available to them that is unavailable to men which is the
female sex hormone - estrogen. Several studies show that estrogen helps prevent, delay
and treat Alzheimer's. Women who take estrogen have an unexpectedly low incidence of
Alzheimer's, they suffer less sever symptoms and slower mental deterioration. Estrogen
improves blood flow through the brain which enhances verbal abilities and helps maintain
memory of postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy.