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What is Alzheimer's? |
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Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (pronounced AHLZ-hi-merz) is a complex disease that affects the brain. Approximately 4.5 million Americans have this disease. Although many things about Alzheimer’s remain a mystery, research continues to bring us a better understanding of the disease, more accurate diagnoses, and more effective treatments. Alzheimer’s disease is one of several disorders that cause the gradual loss of brain cells. The disease was first described in 1906 by German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Although the disease was once considered rare, research has shown that it is the leading cause of dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term for several symptoms related to a decline in thinking skills. Common symptoms include a gradual loss of memory, problems with reasoning or judgment, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, and decline in the ability to perform routine tasks. People with dementia also experience changes in their personalities and behavioral problems, such as agitation, anxiety, delusions (believing in a reality that does not exist), and hallucinations (seeing things that do not exist). Progression of Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease advances at widely different rates. The duration of the illness may often vary from 3 to 20 years. The areas of the brain that control memory and thinking skills are affected first, but as the disease progresses, cells die in other regions of the brain. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer’s will need complete care. If the individual has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself will cause death.
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