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ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Last week, more than 12 million fans of “Coronation Street” tuned in to witness the final moments of one of the soap's most enduring characters, Mike Baldwin. Once a domineering sharp-minded businessman, the soap followed his progression over a number of months to the extremely confused and venerable state he was in when he left our screens. This decline in mental ability was diagnosed on the show as Alzheimer’s Disease. (ALZ-hy-merz)

These stories are of course make-believe and dramatized for the sake of entertaining us, the audience. However, for millions of people in the UK, Alzheimer’s is very much a real disease with very real life altering effects – for both the sufferer and anybody close to them.

With this issue being in the media spotlight so intensely over recent months, and more people than ever being familiar with the illness, I thought I’d take this opportunity to raise awareness of this extremely prevalent, yet drastically misunderstood, mental illness.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and degenerative brain disorder that is currently irreversible. It’s the most common form of dementia (di-MEN-shuh), meaning it worsens cognitive function (intellectual impairment, memory loss, disorientation), changes personality (restless, moody) and may eventually lead to death. Research shows that 5% of people over the age of 65 years and 20% of those over 85 years have the disease. Dealing with the disease can also be difficult for family members and caregivers. It may be of help to understand that the changes seen are not the fault of anyone - they are sadly part of the disease that cannot be avoided.

What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?

Although genetics are thought to be important, no one knows exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. Something we do know for sure though, is that physical changes do take place...