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What is Alzheimer's exactly? This particular disease can be described as a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain; and also happens to be the most common type of dementia. It is a horrible progressive terminal disease in which the patient's brain cells gradually die and slowly shut down many of the victim's body functions, like speech, thought patterns and memory. Research has shown that the largest risk factor for developing this disease is getting older. Having said that, Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disorder of the elderly that does not necessarily have to be part of the normal aging process.

Discovering that you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's can be extremely upsetting, and the day to day caring of a loved one with this disease can be quite challenging. Another problem for families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's can be the financial cost, this cost being directly related to the severity of the disease.

Alzheimer's is, in my opinion the cruelest of the diseases that strike the elderly, the one bit of good news being, that in most cases, it is not inherited. Although there is not a lot you can do to protect yourself from developing Alzheimer's, one thing you can do is to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This disease is the fourth largest cause of death in America, and is the most common type of dementia, with roughly 10% of people over 65 being found to develop it. Studies have shown that the healthier and happier the person with this disease is, the slower the speed of their decline

There is currently no cure and not a great deal of treatment for Alzheimer's disease. One of the medications indicated for the treatment of this disorder is called cholinesterase inhibitors. Of course, examination by a qualified medical person is needed to guarantee the correct diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other similar disorders.

Before any course of treatment for Alzheimer's is undertaken, the patient's wishes and also those of the family should be considered. One question I would like to ask, and has been asked by others is, this disease was discovered about 100 years ago, so why has the treatment for it not advanced at a faster rate.