Article Surfing Archive

One of the most common causes for dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. The dementia is caused when healthy brain tissue degenerates. Memory and mental abilities steadily decline.

Alzheimer's disease usually develops in people 65 or older. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease; however, researches are making progress. There are treatments available to improve the quality of life for some people with Alzheimer's disease.

Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include:

' Increasing and persistent forgetfulness: In the beginning of Alzheimer's disease a person may experience periods of forgetfulness, especially of recent events or simple directions. This forgetfulness persists and worsens. People with Alzheimer's disease routinely misplace things, often putting them in strange or 'illogical' places. They frequently forget names, and may even eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects.

' Difficulties with abstract thinking: People who suffer with Alzheimer's disease may initially have trouble balancing their checkbook and may progress to trouble recognizing numbers.

' Loss of judgment: Common everyday problem solving such as knowing what to do if food on the stove is burning becomes increasingly difficult, eventually impossible. There is greater difficulty in doing things that require planning, decision making and judgment.

' Difficulty performing familiar tasks: Routine tasks that require sequential steps such as cooking become increasingly difficult as the disease progresses.

' Personality changes: Mood swings may occur. People with Alzheimer's disease may begin to distrust others, become anxious or aggressive, show stubbornness and withdraw socially.

It is not a normal part of aging to forget the names of familiar people and objects, and may be a sign of Alzheimer's disease. It is normal to forget the names of people whom you rarely see, but to forget the names of familiar people you see everyday is not normal.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disease that causes more than simple forgetfulness every now and then. Eventually, Alzheimer's disease leads to irreversible mental impairment that destroys a person's ability to remember, reason, learn and imagine.

The disease progresses differently from person to person. Once diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, eight years is the average length of time unto death. Some people, however, live more than a decade with the disease. Survival begins to decline three years after diagnosis.

Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 3-2007.