Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

In today’s world we have many diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, that infect the human population. Some diseases are more mild than others and are treatable. However, anything that can be labeled as a disease requires immediate medical attention. The definition of Alzheimer’s Disease according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing …show more content…
With Alzheimer’s there is no cure to rid or stop the progression of this painful disease. However, there are several treatments that can help with symptoms of the disease. Although these may slow the severity of the symptoms, we remember that in some trials treatments may not work at all. With trying to understand how to stop it we have also tried to understand what might increase a person’s risk for developing the disease. Like many others, family history and heredity are big factors. However, many people who are diagnosed may not have any family history of this disease. So, another significant risk factor is increased age. Looking at statistics from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Search database, the number of people who develop Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. Although it isn’t as common, there are some instances where Alzheimer’s can develop in persons under the age of 65. This may be anywhere from 40-50 and is known as Early Onset Alzheimer’s. Other risk factors include your overall health referring to your diet and exercise regimen, any serious head injuries, and your race. However, these are just factors that have a slight chance of increasing the development of this disease. There are many ways to get tested for this disease and know what can be done to help. Since this disease may affect the APOE gene, Apolipoprotein, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends …show more content…
At first the symptoms were mild like the early stage of the disease describes. It worsened to where she didn’t know who we were and would try to fight my mom and I when came over to see her. When this was a common occurrence we insisted she be moved into a senior care center. While she was in this facility, the disease worsened, and she would have to be fed every day because she would forget to feed herself. She couldn’t walk by herself anymore and would just sit or lay down all day. She lived for 5 years after being diagnosed with this disease. Which is a very long time when having to deal with such a degenerative disease. I tell this little bit of personal information just to emphasize these abilities that are lost. It is a very true statement when one says that watching a person go through Alzheimer’s is a painful and depressing

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