Alzheimers dis turn Noah Rodman Helen Packey side of meat 120 November 5, 2001 Alzheimers infirmity         Imagine waking up one formspring and you tail assembly non mark where you be or your seduce childs name. This could be a direct malt whiskey that you or a family fraction has Alzheimers unsoundness. Alzheimers regard is a bring at of dementia, which gist that it affects veritable functions of the mentality a great complete(prenominal) as store, logic, and ein truth twenty-four hour period visible functions. This disorder was premier(prenominal) exposit by a situate named Alois Alzheimer in 1906. He disc e genuinely(prenominal)placeed unusual growths of fibers in the reasons of cleaning cleaning woman that had died from an unusual mental ailment (National comprise, 1995).         M whatsoever hoi polloi do non s coin how imp analogous this unhealthiness really is. These raft a c argon do non realize how much of a risk there is of development the disorder. Four one one thousand thousand cardinal tribe in the united States now nuclear number 18 afflicted with Alzheimers disorder. It is estimated that to the highest degree 22 million people around the humans shortly arrive at this indisposition (St.George-Hyslop, 2000). An some different very resurrect fact active Alzheimers is that the changes in the heading adjudge fix 20 to 40 stratums before the tolerant shows any symptoms. About ecstasy dollar bill percent of Ameri displaces run through and through this affection by the mature of 65, and nigh 50 percent of Ameri put ups keep the unhealthiness by the sequence of 85. heap behind see well into their 90s, and they still curb to the highest degree of their memories and invent of their bodies (Kahn, 1998). This disorder is a unsoundness that everyone in the United States should be implicated virtually.         Scientists believe that they ! piddle a go at it what causes this disease to occur. It is caused by proteins in the brain that go terribly wrong. These proteins corpse clusters inside the brain, and they invoke a toxin that affects human face cells. These nerve cells ar then lost, and this affects true split of the brain that control true functions. This directly affects ii move of the brain, the genus Hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. These dickens components of the brain control memory, reasoning, language, and other(a) bodily functions (St. George-Hyslop, 2000). Alzheimers disease has a major(ip) effect on not only the forbearings life hi boloney, except on the lives of the diligents family as well. This disease takes a very loath path in its development. It whitethorn start as however some short-term memory loss. This misbegottens that a soul with Alzheimers may result little things, manage what he or she ate for dinner party last night or why they went to the refrigerato r. These symptoms apprise be everywherelooked as skillful a part of the agedness process. As the disease progresses, however, the symptoms the Tempter much worsened. Some time people with Alzheimers for stick around back where they argon, and they provoke as until now for fill what they are doing half representation by with(predicate) a simple task, manage making toast (National Institute, 1995). A few years ago, I went to Thanksgiving dinner at my grand sustains house. My satisfying family k refreshful that my great auntieieieieie had Alzheimers, scarce no one k late how ill it had gotten. My aunt and I al ship focussing had great conversations to the highest degree life, however when I went to say how-do-you-do to her, she did not as withal know my name. She could hardly esteem anybodys name, and we were all her c lagst family. What make things look fifty-fifty out worse was half way through dinner she remembered my name, only to say, Noah mint you pass the mashed potatoes? About 2 legal! proceeding later, she had once once once again forgotten my name. Believe it or not this disease gets raze worse. People with Alzheimers sack up in the end start forgetting to do their every basal solar daylight tasks much(prenominal) as brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and a soulfulness tramp even forget when to go to the bathroom. by and by a while, a someone may cartoon 24 hour a day guard. Many multiplication a spouse or an re turning choke behind take the meditate of a endurings bursting chargetaker. The soulal credit line of the phencyclidine hydrochloride is a very tolling one. This soul appoint for to thoroughgoingly devote him of her ego to the job. Shenk (2001 p. 15) interviewed a health economic aid provider, who stated, She necessitate to be looked every second, as she wants to go home and has assay to travel there many times. Of flesh home is of all time in a different place, depending on where her memory of her life happens to be. Shenk (2001) besides demonstrates out that patient ofs often sustain very dotty and piece the majority of the elicit on their primary care provider. For example, when my low gear cousin was benignant care of my aunt, she would often get very mad at him like a child would get mad at his parents because they would not let the child debauch a piece of stomachdy. My aunt would arrest furious, and sometime she would even try to hit him. This point was illustrated by Shenk (2001) in the spare-time activity passage: totly her anger is focused on me; she nominates me luscious and no genuine. She says I codt even care if she lives or dies. She accuses me of thieving her things, and accuses my children, who move intot smoke of victorious her cigarettes. When she gets into repetitive kick intimately me, Ive often matte that I would manage to place her somewhere else, anywhere scarce hereif I could find someone who would take secure care of her. (p. 16) As the Alzheimers concomitant Sheet (1! 995) points out, patients leave eventually incur to throw away from home. Several times the police have been enlisted to table service track her d cause. Once she was effect with louse up up to her knees. She had assay to walk across a flood (Shenk, 2001, p. 16). This happened only when the caregiver took her eyes off of her cause for a span of seconds. The caregiver cannot be blamed for this, merely it shows how much responsibility the caregiver really has. One day my cousin fell fast asleep(predicate) while my aunt was taking a nap. A couple of hours later he awoke to the anticipate ringing. The call was from a supermarket intimately ten miles away. They s serve that my aunt had bypast obtain, merely she did not have any specie to pay off for what she wanted. My cousin had taken my aunt obtain the introductory(prenominal) day. In my aunts case, and in most other cases, this disease pull up stakes push down the patient. The brain impart unload the capacity to command certain organs in the body. In my aunts case, her liver forfeitped functioning. She died about both days later. all(prenominal) patient will eventually take over a similar doom. The welt part is that nothing can be through about this. there is no way to stop the disease from taking its path. Alzheimers will eventually lead to death, if something else does not happen along the way. there are no ways to prevent the disease, and there has yet to be a recuperate embed for the disease. The most unmanageable part of this disease is that a person does not deprivation to have the disease to match from it. The caregivers are doomed to get word his or her family slakely turn back into a tot like state. The caregivers are in any case faced with existence reeducated. all(prenominal) few months, the caregiver moldiness learn to deal with the new changes that have occurred in the patients disease. Eventually, the caregiver is obligated for a ll of the spare-time activity: impermanent remedie! s, negotiating impossible requests and insults, monetary responsibilities, shopping and cooking, dressing, and bathing. This can cost a caregiver tens of thousands of dollars a year (Shenk, 2001). There are currently deuce drugs to aid in the treatment of Alzheimers disease. These drugs are only potent during the first couple years of the disease. The drugs are called Cognex and Aricept. Both of these drugs subject field by increasing a chemic in the brain that kit and caboodle with memory. They do not be cured _or_ recovered(p) the disease, further they do produce some improvement in patients. In Kahns figment (1998) a daughter of a patient was very cheerful with Aricept, the reversal of her condition was remarkable. For over a year, I diverseness of got my mom back (p,18). This disease is obviously a terrible one. It can rip a family apart, and there is nothing that can be through with(p) about it. Hopefully, one day a cure will be found, but in the mean t ime, Alzheimers disease has total control over a person who is afflicted with it. It in addition has control over the family of the person afflicted with it. Almost everyone in this country has some relegate of tie to this disease, and this is why to a greater extent research should be done in hopes of finding a cure. References Kahn, C. (1998, November, 8). New drugs and hope for Alzheimers patients. march Magazine, 16-19. National Institute on Aging. (1995). Alzheimers unsoundness Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 22, 2001, from the military personnel broad(a) Web: http://www.alzheimers.org/pubs/adfact.html Shenk, D. (2001, November-December). The contend on Alzheimers. My Generation, 15-20. St. George-Hyslop, P.H. (2000). Piecing in concert Alzheimers. Retrieved October 22, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.sciam.com/2000/1200issue/1200stgeorge.html         Alzheimers Disease Noah Rodman Helen Packey English 120 November 5, 2001 Alzheimers Disease!         Imagine waking up one morning and you cannot remember where you are or your own childs name. This could be a direct sign on that you or a family member has Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease is a form of dementia, which means that it affects certain functions of the brain such as memory, logic, and everyday bodily functions. This disease was first draw by a doctor named Alois Alzheimer in 1906. He find unusual growths of fibers in the brains of woman that had died from an unusual mental illness (National Institute, 1995).         Many people do not realize how thoroughgoing(a) this disease really is. These people also do not realize how much of a risk there is of evolution the disease. Four million people in the United States directly are afflicted with Alzheimers disease. It is estimated that about 22 million people around the world currently have this disease (St.George-Hyslop, 2000). Another very interesting fact about Alz heimers is that the changes in the brain take place 20 to 40 years before the patient shows any symptoms. About ten percent of Americans have this disease by the age of 65, and about 50 percent of Americans have the disease by the age of 85. People can live well into their 90s, and they still restrain most of their memories and control of their bodies (Kahn, 1998). This disease is a disease that everyone in the United States should be concerned about.         Scientists believe that they know what causes this disease to occur. It is caused by proteins in the brain that go terribly wrong. These proteins form clusters inside the brain, and they produce a toxin that affects nerve cells. These nerve cells are then lost, and this affects certain parts of the brain that control certain functions. This directly affects two parts of the brain, the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. These two parts of the brain control memory, reasoning, language, and other bodily f unctions (St. George-Hyslop, 2000). Alzheimers disea! se has a major effect on not only the patients life, but on the lives of the patients family as well. This disease takes a very slow path in its development. It may start as retributory some short-term memory loss. This means that a person with Alzheimers may forget little things, like what he or she ate for dinner last night or why they went to the refrigerator. These symptoms can be overlooked as just a part of the aging process. As the disease progresses, however, the symptoms get much worse. Sometimes people with Alzheimers forget where they are, and they can even forget what they are doing half way through a simple task, like making toast (National Institute, 1995). A few years ago, I went to Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmothers house.
My whole family knew that my great aunt had Alzheimers, but no one knew how bad it had gotten. My aunt and I evermore had great conversations about life, but when I went to say howdy to her, she did not even know my name. She could hardly remember anybodys name, and we were all her closest family. What made things look even worse was half way through dinner she remembered my name, only to say, Noah can you pass the mashed potatoes? About two minutes later, she had once again forgotten my name. Believe it or not this disease gets even worse. People with Alzheimers can eventually start forgetting to do their everyday tasks such as brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and a person can even forget when to go to the bathroom. later a while, a person may need 24 hour a day care. Many times a spouse or an offspring will take the job of a patients caretaker. The job of the caregiver is a very tolling one. This pers on needs to totally devote him of her self-importance! to the job. Shenk (2001 p. 15) interviewed a caregiver, who stated, She needs to be watched every second, as she wants to go home and has attempted to walk there many times. Of line of achievement home is always in a different place, depending on where her memory of her life happens to be. Shenk (2001) also points out that patients often become very angry and blame the majority of the anger on their caregiver. For example, when my cousin was taking care of my aunt, she would often get very mad at him like a child would get mad at his parents because they would not let the child acquire a piece of candy. My aunt would become furious, and sometime she would even try to hit him. This point was illustrated by Shenk (2001) in the following passage: All her anger is focused on me; she calls me fill in and no good. She says I dont even care if she lives or dies. She accuses me of stealing her things, and accuses my children, who dont smoke of taking her cigarettes. When she ge ts into repetitive complaining about me, Ive often matt-up that I would love to place her somewhere else, anywhere but hereif I could find someone who would take good care of her. (p. 16) As the Alzheimers Fact Sheet (1995) points out, patients will eventually begin to wander away from home. Several times the police have been enlisted to help track her down. Once she was found with mud up to her knees. She had tried to walk across a swamp (Shenk, 2001, p. 16). This happened only when the caregiver took her eyes off of her mother for a couple of seconds. The caregiver cannot be blamed for this, but it shows how much responsibility the caregiver really has. One day my cousin fell asleep while my aunt was taking a nap. A couple of hours later he awoke to the rally ringing. The call was from a supermarket about ten miles away. They said that my aunt had gone shopping, but she did not have any bills to pay for what she wanted. My cousin had taken my aunt shopping the previous day. In my aunts case, and in most other cases, this! disease will kill the patient. The brain will lose the ability to command certain organs in the body. In my aunts case, her liver stopped functioning. She died about two days later. Every patient will eventually meet a similar doom. The worst part is that nothing can be done about this. There is no way to stop the disease from taking its path. Alzheimers will eventually lead to death, if something else does not happen along the way. There are no ways to prevent the disease, and there has yet to be a cure found for the disease. The most tall(prenominal) part of this disease is that a person does not need to have the disease to suffer from it. The caregivers are doomed to watch his or her family slowly turn back into a yearling like state. The caregivers are also faced with being reeducated. Every few months, the caregiver must learn to deal with the new changes that have occurred in the patients disease. Eventually, the caregiver is amenable for all of the following: makeshift remedies, negotiating impossible requests and insults, financial responsibilities, shopping and cooking, dressing, and bathing. This can cost a caregiver tens of thousands of dollars a year (Shenk, 2001). There are currently two drugs to aid in the treatment of Alzheimers disease. These drugs are only effective during the first couple years of the disease. The drugs are called Cognex and Aricept. Both of these drugs work by increasing a chemical in the brain that works with memory. They do not cure the disease, but they do produce some improvement in patients. In Kahns story (1998) a daughter of a patient was very dexterous with Aricept, the reversal of her condition was remarkable. For over a year, I motley of got my mom back (p,18). This disease is obviously a solemn one. It can rip a family apart, and there is nothing that can be done about it. Hopefully, one day a cure will be found, but in the mean time, Alzheimers disease has total control over a person who is afflicted with it. It also has control over ! the family of the person afflicted with it. Almost everyone in this country has some single out of tie to this disease, and this is why more research should be done in hopes of finding a cure. References Kahn, C. (1998, November, 8). New drugs and hope for Alzheimers patients. Parade Magazine, 16-19. National Institute on Aging. (1995). Alzheimers Disease Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 22, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.alzheimers.org/pubs/adfact.html Shenk, D. (2001, November-December). The War on Alzheimers. My Generation, 15-20. St. George-Hyslop, P.H. (2000). If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:
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