Exactly What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Despite the fact it is the most prevalent form of dementia, there is currently has no cure for Alzheimer’s. Named for German physician, Alois Alzheimer, the disease was described first by him in 1906. The number of people with this brain disorder is growing rapidly.
Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with behavior, memory, and thinking that are severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. People with this disease not only lose their memory, but this is a progressive and fatal disease.
Alzheimer’s disease , it is especially sobering to learn, has surpassed diabetes to become the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Even more chilling facts about Alzheimer’s:
- As many as 5.2 million people are already living with Alzheimer’s in the US.
- 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's in their lifetime.
- Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s.
- Between both direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementias to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses amount to more than $148 billion each year.
Perhaps the most surprising of these facts is that people are getting diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at much earlier ages now. Last year over 500,000 people under 65 years of age were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Even more shocking, some of those were in their 20’s and 30’s.
Alzheimer’s Disease - The Causes
Of course our brains age as we get older, just like the rest of our body does. However, the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s shows far greater changes than normal.
To start with, consider that the brain has 100 billion nerve cells (neurons). The nerve cells communicate with each other to form networks, and these networks have special jobs. Some are for thinking, others for learning and remembering. Some networks work to help us hear, see and smell, while still other networks control our muscle movement.
Working like a tiny factory, each nerve cell notwork needs to take in supplies and generate energy. It also needs to make something and get rid of waste. Each nerve cell network also needs to process and store information.
For some reason, in people with Alzheimer’s the nerve networks cell factories quit working correctly. After one part of the system breaks down. soon it ripples out to other parts of the system and they have problems as well. The cells eventually can no longer do their job and die.
Two prime suspects are thought to cause these problems, even though scientists don't completely understand the process.
- Nerve cells have plaques build up between them. Deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid (BAY-tuh AM-uh-loyd) are found in plaques.
- Tangles are made of another protein called tau (rhymes with "pow", and are twisted fibers. These tangles form inside dying cells.
As people age, most develop tangles and plaques. However, people with Alzheimer’s tend to develop far more than is usual. Tangles and plaques have a tendency to form in a predictable pattern. They usually start in areas important to learning and memory, and progress from there to other regions of the brain.These plaques and tangles are believed to somehow block communication among the nerve cells. They also disrupt activities that cells need to do to survive.
What To Look For With Alzheimer's Disease
A list of warning signs has been developed by The Alzheimer’s Association. They include the following:
- Memory loss.
- Performing familiar tasks is difficult.
- Having problems with language.
- Time and place disorientation.
- Poor or decreased judgment.
- Having trouble with abstract thinking.
- Misplacing things.
- Mood and behavior changes.
- Personality differences.
- There's a loss of initiative.
For a more complete explanation of the warning signs, visit The Alzheimer’s Association’s website.
It's important part of caring for your health to learn about Alzheimer’s, what signs to look for and how it affects people and keep up with the latest health news. Considering the fact that younger people are getting this disease, it’s never too early to learn about Alzheimer’s!
