How does Alzheimer's cause people to die?

Answer 1

Correction, people do not die due to Alzheimer's disease, they die WITH Alzheimer's disease ...

AD victims are more prone to other health issues - most notably the following:

Aspiration pneumonia
Upper urinary tract infection
Sepsis or other overwhelming infections
Worsening bedsores
Weight loss greater than 10 percent over the past six months

It's a cruel and heartbreaking disease ...

Answer 2

Basically, what happens is the brain cells die, and the brain is the control panel for the body. When the cells no longer function, they can not communicate with other parts of the body, and it is the impulses from the brain that cause the lungs to expand for oxygen intake, and compress to expell carbon dioxide. Impulses from the brain tell the heart to beat, and the stomach to digest and the liver to filter and all the other organs to operate properly. With no control panel, things no longer work, and that is what causes death.
If you have the chance to look at a cat scan from an Alzheimer patient, you will see there are large gaps where the brain cells have simply died and left holes in the brain, like a Swiss cheese.

Answer 3

Basically, the brain functions decay, until the system has no pilot anymore. Look t an Alzheimer´s brain: it looks bleached and the cortex gaps are wider. When the brain cannot tell the heart that it has to beat, or the lungs to breathe, or to the liver to filter, the poor patient will die. It´s very sad.

Answer 4

after watching mom for years I can say the brain becomes less and less responsive. It is impossible to tell if it is AD or caused by mini strokes unless a brain autopsy is performed after death. Mom started to pick at her nose, non stop, caused from a sniff drug for osteoporosis, it was mostly hydrochloric acid, and cost $110.00 for 1/5 of an ounce, I figured it out, more expensive than platinum. She would not stop, soon she looked like Bozo and had her ears and eyes infected. Got a tiny tube of med for 90 bucks. Hid it, she found it and used the entire thing in one day. The urinary tract infections are always present in old ones, not emptying the bladder like they should. Mom died of pneumonia, she still ate but was skinny as a rail, she no longer talked and things that used to please her made her cry. The worst part is explaining it to the relatives--I would get a call, gee mom didn't know who I was, I'll call after lunch. Gee what meds do they have sis on she didn't know who I was? Hang in and be strong.

Answer 5

Just to add value to what Rick L has said people don't die from Alzheimer's, just like people don't die from AIDS. HIV/AIDS virus compromises the immune system (that protects us from infections due to bacterias,viruses) kill white blood cells. So a cold turns into bronchitis, then pneumonia, cancers, tumors (of the body or brain) tuberculosis and so on. That's what they die from. there is lots of info. out there on the transmission of this smart virus. To be aware is to be alive.

Answer 6

President Reagan forgot how to eat. All of your reply's before mine are great.

I have been watching my mom go through it for several years. She will probably die of pneumonia, since she gets it frequently and it leaves her weaker each time. I put my foot down to all meds, except to keep her out of pain. She is a Christian Scientist anyway, so no drugs is easy.

I hope that you asked this question out of curiosity and that everyone you love is healthy. There are support groups out there you can learn a lot from, too.

Answer 7

People don't die from Alzheimers disease, they die from other things.

Answer 8

Well since you forget things when you have alzheimer's I figure it must kill your brain cells. I'm not trying to be funny I really think it does.

Answer 9

It causes gradual degeneration of the brain, structurally and chemically. The memory loss and related symptoms are caused by this organic degeneration.

Answer 10

It was explained to me, when my mother was dying, that the brain "forgets". It forgets everything it knows, and eventually, if you live that long, it forgets to breathe. Usually you "forget" to eat, or process food. It is a terrible affliction, and you do a service to your loved one if you help them to die, rather than forcing them to live on with forced feedings, etc. My opinion from experience. I'm talking about passively helping them to die, making them comfortable, but not prolonging life by artificial means.