Synthesis Essay On Alzheimer's Disease
Many do not understand how devastating and tragic the Alzheimer’s disease is. It is much more than memory loss or just a part of aging. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that slowly strips the personality and independence away from a person. It is a progressive disease that destroys and kills nerve cells which results in problems with memory, personality changes and thinking and problem solving abilities (source 1). Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and it is estimated that over five million Americans have the disease (source 5). Risk of the disease increases with age, however, middle aged adults can also be victims of the disease. Witnessing a loved one go through the Alzheimer’s is heartbreaking
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Symptoms commonly begin with forgetfulness and mild confusion. As time goes on the effects of the disease worsen. The memory of the patient and the memories he or she made fade away. Short term memory loss is the first to worsen which results in difficulties to remember simple things and difficulties in forming new memories (source 3). As a result of the progression of Alzheimer’s the ability to for a patient to function independently is also affected. In early stages of the disease other common symptoms include misplacing possessions, forgetting the names of friends and family or other everyday objects and getting lost in familiar places (source 3). In addition patients with Alzheimer’s disease also suffer from changes in personality and behavior, difficulties in their ability to think and reason and even decision making. For example patients are not able to quickly respond to everyday problems or situations, they are unable to multitask and they experience depression, unplaced mistrust in others, loss of inhibitions, mood swings and aggressiveness (source 3). In the later stages of Alzheimer’s the effects from the disease are much worse. Patients experience hallucinations or delusions that are untrue (source 4). Slowly, the patient becomes unware of what is happening around them and they have difficulty completing simple tasks independently. They then require constant assistance and more involved care. Towards the end stages of the disease Alzheimer’s patients cannot recognize loved ones or even themselves. They remember little to nothing about their life and are physically incapable of doing many tasks. Their bodies become frail and unrecognizable; suddenly the person shares no resemblance to who they were before the
Symptoms commonly begin with forgetfulness and mild confusion. As time goes on the effects of the disease worsen. The memory of the patient and the memories he or she made fade away. Short term memory loss is the first to worsen which results in difficulties to remember simple things and difficulties in forming new memories (source 3). As a result of the progression of Alzheimer’s the ability to for a patient to function independently is also affected. In early stages of the disease other common symptoms include misplacing possessions, forgetting the names of friends and family or other everyday objects and getting lost in familiar places (source 3). In addition patients with Alzheimer’s disease also suffer from changes in personality and behavior, difficulties in their ability to think and reason and even decision making. For example patients are not able to quickly respond to everyday problems or situations, they are unable to multitask and they experience depression, unplaced mistrust in others, loss of inhibitions, mood swings and aggressiveness (source 3). In the later stages of Alzheimer’s the effects from the disease are much worse. Patients experience hallucinations or delusions that are untrue (source 4). Slowly, the patient becomes unware of what is happening around them and they have difficulty completing simple tasks independently. They then require constant assistance and more involved care. Towards the end stages of the disease Alzheimer’s patients cannot recognize loved ones or even themselves. They remember little to nothing about their life and are physically incapable of doing many tasks. Their bodies become frail and unrecognizable; suddenly the person shares no resemblance to who they were before the