Write An Essay On Alzheimer's

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As we age our bodies begin to break down but occasionally an abnormal break down occurs. In 1906 a German physician named Alois Alzheimer had a haunting case never seen before. His patient, Auguste D. had profound memory loss and a worsening physiological state. During the autopsy he found considerable shrinking and deposits around nerve cells. This would soon be known as Alzheimer’s a neurodegenerative disorder where the body destroys it’s own brain and nerve cells. Alzheimer’s is similar to dementia except dementia is a broad term used to describe disorders where patients experience a decline in mental ability. Most alzheimer’s victims will experience mild dementia that slowly develops into full blown Alzheimers. Over sixty percent of cases…show more content…
Once you have the disease in your body it can take several years to show noticeable symptoms. On average a person with Alzheimers goes through a progression period known as the pre-symptomatic stage for about seven years in the United States. (brightstages) The first stage is a mild form of dementia, also called a mild cognitive impairment stage. In this stage the patient is usually fairly independent. Common symptoms of this can range anywhere from changes in personality or mood swings, to memory loss and attention disorders. People who are going through the first stage may also forget what they were saying mid-conversation. Secondly you begin to experience moderate disability due to the disease. This is the longest stage of degeneration and can last for many years where the independence slowly fades. While individuals suffering from Alzheimer's have good long-term memory meaning they can recall distant information or events, they struggle to remember recent events or short-term memory. They also may struggle recognizing family members, locations, or time-date orientation. Often times to compensate for their lacking memory they create new words to replace ones they cannot

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