Research Paper On Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease
Most people imagine growing old and playing with their grandchildren. People hope to live a long life so they can share their experiences with the younger generation. They would feel warm thinking about the good old days and sharing the memories with their loved ones. Unfortunately, some people don’t get the opportunity to share their memories because of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to loss of memory, thinking and other brain functions. There is a misconception that Alzheimer’s is a normal part of aging, but that is not true. The risk of Alzheimer’s does increase with age and the majority of the suffers are 65 and older. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease and worsens with time. It gets to the point where the patient can’t even carry out conversations or respond to their environment.
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not clear.
However certain factors increase the rise of developing the disease. Some of the risks include “age, genetics and history of head trauma. Symptoms include difficulty performing more than one task, forgetting recent events, getting lost on familiar routes, misplacing items, delusions, withdrawing from social contact and etc.” (Alz.Org) The patient even has hard time performing daily activities and this forces someone to keep an eye on them all day. They require special attention and care. Families have to take time out of their lives and attend to the patient and make sure that they are doing
fine.
Alzheimer’s disease has ten warning signs. The first warning sign is memory loss that disrupts daily life. Next are challenges in planning or solving problems. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure is another sign. Other signs include confusion with time or place; trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships; new problems with words in speaking or writing; misplacing things and losing ability to retrace steps; decreases or poor judgment; withdrawal from work or social work activities and changes in mood and personality. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees.
There is no single test that can show whether a person has Alzheimer’s or not. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s requires careful medical evaluations. “A thorough medical history, mental status testing, a physical and neurological exams” are all required to diagnose a patient with Alzheimer’s. (Alz.Org) Tests such as blood tests and brain imaging can be used to rule out other causes of dementia-like symptoms.
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. Patients can take medications that can help with the symptoms. Researchers are currently looking for a cure. Drugs that can be taken for memory loss include Cholinesterase and Memantine. These medications help treat the cognitive symptoms which include memory loss, confusion, and problems with thinking and reasoning. Medication cannot stop the damage the disease causes to the brain cells, but they help lessen or stabilize symptoms for a limited time. The medications affect certain chemicals involved in carrying messages among the brains nerve cells. Cholinesterase is prescribed to treat Alzheimer’s symptoms in early to moderate stages of the disease. It is prescribed to treat symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment, and other thought processes. This drug works by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger important for learning and memory. It also delays symptoms for 6 to 12 months on average. Side effects of this druge include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements.