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Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is an umbrella term with common symptoms that include gradual loss of memory, problems with reasoning or judgment, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills and a decline in the ability to perform routine tasks. Other symptoms include personality changes and behavioral problems, such as agitation, nervousness, delusions and hallucinations.
Alzheimer’s is usually caused by reduced blood flow to the nerve cells in the brain. Other causes may be frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, or Parkinson’s disease.
The definition of Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease affecting the brain. It is one of several disorders that cause the loss of brain cells. It gradually destroys memory and the ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and care for oneself. It was first described in 1906 by German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer.
Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 4.5 million Americans, which is about 5% of the US population. 50% of those are nursing home patients. The incidence of Alzheimer’s increases with age. Only 1% younger than 75 years are affected, where more than 25% over 85 years affected. It affects more women than men, which may be due to women’s longevity, rather than a gender-based predisposition.
There is no single cause for Alzheimer’s disease. Two factors that may play a role are increasing age and family history of the disease. General healthy aging may reduce the risk, such as controlling blood pressure, weight and cholesterol, exercising the body and mind, and engaging in social activities.
There is no single test used to diagnose the disease. Other symptoms must be ruled out, such as, depression, side effects of medication, certain thyroid conditions, excessive alcohol use, and nutritional imbalances. Skilled doctors can diagnose the disease with about 90% accuracy by completing a complete medical...