Alzheimers Disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

Alzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, genetically linked illness. This disease was chosen for the topic of this essay under the consideration that in many families the illness can be incredibly tragic, passing down for generations without mercy. It is not rare to encounter families in which each member is afflicted with a form, mild or severe, of Alzheimer’s. The disease is a progressive brain disease which comes in two separate types: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. These will be discussed in full later on in the paper. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s are extremely detrimental to the individual whom it affects, as the disease attacks the brain cells and their connections. As the illness progresses, many of the affected brain cells die. In the very beginning stages, many of the symptoms are mistakenly associated simply with the effects of ageing or stress. Issues such as attentiveness, abstract thinking, and mild memory loss which happens to be the most notable of these early symptoms, will all start to appear. As the disease progresses, patients will begin to have a difficulty with perception and execution of motions. Memory will begin to take a heavy toll on the patient at this point, becoming a prominent dilemma. Older memories or episodic memories (such as writing), do not take the brunt of these attacks, but rather newer memories are affected the most. Soon, issues with speech will begin to arise, as the patient’s vocabulary begins to become more and more limited and simplistic. Coordi nation and movement begin to become difficult task for the persons affected, but can ordinarily be accomplished at this point of the disease. In moderate cases, the deterioration of the mind will eventually ... ...much to prepare themselves for the onslaught that is Alzheimer’s Disease. Works Cited "Alzheimer's Association - Alzheimer's & Dementia Risk Factors." Alzheimer's Association. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Fact Sheet." National Institute on Aging. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers." National Institute on Aging. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Alzheimer's Topics." National Institute on Aging. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation." Fisher Center Foundation. Web. 04 May 2012. .