Alzheimer s Disease And Its Effects - 1270 Words

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease that attacks and ultimately destroys brain cells. Without these cells functioning properly, every aspect of a person’s life is adversely affected until they are no longer able to care for themselves. Despite years of research and the large amount of money that has gone into the study of this disease and its effects, there is much that remains a mystery in regards to Alzheimer’s disease. While great strides have been made towards a cause and ultimately a cure, there is much work to be done before Alzheimer’s disease will no longer be a threat. Alzheimer’s disease is, as of yet, an incurable disease that slowly destroys a person’s memory, cognitive skills, and as it progresses eventually motor†¦show more content†¦Depending on the age and overall health of the patient, the average Alzheimer’s patient can survive anywhere from four years up to twenty years after their symptoms begin to show (Alzheimer’s Association). There are three stages of Alzheimer’s disease, mild, moderate, and severe. The first stage is mild Alzheimer’s disease. In mild Alzheimer’s disease, the loss of memory becomes noticeable and other changes to the patient’s reasoning abilities begin to be effected (Alzheimer’s). It is in this initial stage that most patients are diagnosed with the disease. Issues and characteristics that identify a person with mild Alzheimer’s disease include difficulties such as getting lost in areas that were once well known, having poor judgment, routine tasks taking much longer to complete, and repeating questions and/ or statements. The second stage of Alzheimer’s disease is the moderate stage. In moderate Alzheimer’s disease, brain tissue damage reaches the portions of the brain that control sensory, language, cognizant thought (Alzheimer’s). During this second stage, it is common for patients to be unable to recognize and/ or remembe r the names of family members or close friends. Additionally, multi-tiered tasks, even those as simple as getting dressed, become extremely difficult for the patient to accomplish without