Alzheimer's - An Overview of the Disease

Alzheimer's is a disease that affects the brain. It's a condition that slowly wears away the person's memory and thought processes, making them deteriorate at a slow pace. Although there are many forms of dementia, Alzheimer's is the most common and mainly affects those that are over the age of sixty.

The symptoms of the disease can be difficult to diagnose because it occurs mostly in aging people, it often becomes confused with part of the aging process. However, Alzheimer's is a much more dramatic change in people's behavior, moods, and thought function and is much different than natural aging. Some of the main symptoms of Alzheimer's include: confusion as to the date, time or place; a depressed disposition; problems with normal thought processes and performing simple tasks; not being able to do something that could be done before; walking aimlessly; stowing away objects, which is often in the later stages and comes with paranoia; and loss of control of bodily functions. Because Alzheimer's is continuously being studied, there may be many more visible symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Currently there is no known cause of the disease. However, studies have identified three major factors that could contribute to Alzheimer's: genetics, the external environment, and the internal environment. If a person has a family history of Alzheimer's, it's likely that they will also suffer from it at some point in their lives. Researchers have yet to determine what part of the disea

e causes this genetic connection. The external environment may be something in the soil, water, or air in the person's outer environment. The internal factors may include something such as a virus or a chemical imbalance. The only possible causes for Alzheimer's are still extremely vague. This is why research is always being done so that we may have a better understanding of the disease.

Because a person with Alzheimer's may experience all the symptoms or only just a few of them, a diagnosis can be difficult. To further add to the challenge is the fact that there is no test that can be performed for Alzheimer's. To diagnose, doctors need to be able to observe and assess the patient over a long period of time and perform different tests such as: a mental status exam, a physical exam, laboratory tests, an MRI, and psychological tests. Until there is one test that can conclusively provide positive or negative results, doctors may use the term "probable Alzheimer's disease." This should be considered a diagnosis as doctors are right in these cases eighty to ninety percent of the time.

Article provided by Sharon Shaw Elrod. Senior Citizen Journal provides current and relevant information on topics of interest to seniors. Please visit my web site at http://seniorcitizenjournal.com/ and my blog at http://seniorcitizenjournal.blogspot.com/