What is Alzheimer's??

Answer 1

It's a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration together with declining activities of daily living and drastic behavioral changes. It's also the most common form of dementia.

Answer 2

Everyone focuses on "forgetting things", but Alzheimer's is much worse than that. Only the early stages can be characterized by "forgetfullness". By the middle stages of the disease, the affected person has lost the ability to communicate, can no longer cook, clean, schedule appointments, or care for themselves. By the end stages, total disability results, the person's brain begins to forget how to breathe, swallow, and do normal bodily functions. Eventually, an Alzheimer's patient will die of an infection or will literally curl up in the fetal position and die as a result of the body forgetting how to live. It's nasty stuff.

Answer 3

It is a debilitating disease that usually effects older people. It is basically like they begin to get holes in their brain & they can not remember things very well anymore. It starts with maybe they forget where there keys are, and in the end stages they can not remember their family. There are drugs that help slow down the development of this disease, but no cure as of yet. I was a care-giver at a nursing home and I worked in the dementia part of the facility. It is the saddest thing I have ever seen-grown people who can not remember anything and are sad and confused, although often the only thing they can remember is their childhood so I would have them asking me, "where is my mom?" and crying....This is not the most technical answer, but I hope it gives you a better understanding of the subject.

Answer 4

Alzheimer’s (AHLZ-high-merz) disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, new treatments are on the horizon as a result of accelerating insight into the biology of the disease. Research has also shown that effective care and support can improve quality of life for individuals and their caregivers over the course of the disease from diagnosis to the end of life.


Dementia
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a group of conditions that all gradually destroy brain cells and lead to progressive decline in mental function. Vascular dementia, another common form, results from reduced blood flow to the brain’s nerve cells. In some cases, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia can occur together in a condition called "mixed dementia." Other causes of dementia include frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Parkinson’s disease.


Progression of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease advances at widely different rates. The duration of the illness may often vary from 3 to 20 years. The areas of the brain that control memory and thinking skills are affected first, but as the disease progresses, cells die in other regions of the brain. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer’s will need complete care. If the individual has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself will cause death.


Early-stage and early-onset Alzheimer's
Early-stage is the early part of Alzheimer’s disease when problems with memory, thinking and concentration may begin to appear in a doctor’s interview or medical tests. Individuals in the early-stage typically need minimal assistance with simple daily routines. At the time of a diagnosis, an individual is not necessarily in the early stage of the disease; he or she may have progressed beyond the early stage.

The term early-onset refers to Alzheimer's that occurs in a person under age 65. Early-onset individuals may be employed or have children still living at home. Issues facing families include ensuring financial security, obtaining benefits and helping children cope with the disease. People who have early-onset dementia may be in any stage of dementia – early, middle or late.

Answer 5

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness.

In other words, its a disease that causes you to lose your memory.

Answer 6

A disease that causes people to forget things.
Depending on the severity it can be names, places, people, or where they are.
>it is not contagious, but it is genetic, so you have a more likely chance if family memebers have it.
>They don't have a cure yet, but medicines that can postpone it, make it less severe
>Usualy only affects old people (the rare case of a 40 yr. old)

Hope I helpes>>> if not try WebMD.com (or is it .org ?)

Answer 7

you dont know alzheimers is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!its a disease that make you forget things like your age or wear you were in the last five minutes.sheesh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

Brain deterioration.

Answer 9

A disease where people forget things. It occurs mostly in elderly people.

Answer 10

It's not infectious.