Nowdays, Alzhaimer's affects the baby booom generation. In other words, the old people. Alzhaimer's shows its noticable symptoms in people around the age of 65. And since the baby boomers are in this age category, Alzheimer's which was once a personal tragedy became an epidemic.
How is Alzheimer's an economic issue?
Since the baby boomers are old now, they are retiring. This influences economy because large part of population is retiring and/or activating health plan, which takes money away from the government.
Economic issues are also triggered by the medical expenses and people who have to quit their job to take care of their loved ones.
How was Alzheimer's discovered?
Alzheimer's was discovered by Dr. Alzheimer who was treating a patient with unknown mental disease. His patient, Auguste D., was brought to his asylum in 1901. During then next couple of years she displayed symptoms of paranoia, fortgetfulness and confusion. One time she was asked to writer her name, however, she wrote only the first part of it. After the repetition, she was still unable to finish writting her whole name. After her death, Dr. Alzheimer examined parts of her brain and discovered that it was shrunk and colorless. This was the first physical proof for a mental ilness.
How does Alzheimer's rob you of your identity?
When you have Alzheimer's, your first symptoms will be forgetfulness; like where you left your keys. Personaly changes occur and you become irritated, scared and paranoid. Later on you can't recall some major things like eating, not being able to keep up with conversation and/or forgetting your loved ones followed by not knowing who you are. Not remembering your happiest and saddest memories and your loved ones, loosing connections with them and your own negative view on world robbs you of who you once were.
Process of Alzheimer's:
Early stage: Alzheimer's kills off the learning and memory part of the brein. Later on it moves into the thinking and planning part of brain.
Mild stage: Personality changes settle in such as paranoia, fear, and unprovoced anger.
Moderate stage: Loosing most of one's memory. An individual is not able to recall his/ her own family members and friends.
Severe: Patient is not able to care of himself/herself. Importnat part of his brain that are, for example, responsible for moving, affected by the disease. In the final stage the patient eventually dies when a part of his/her brain that's crucual for survival dies, such as breathing.
Alshaimer's is believed to be a genetical disorder that differs in each individual. Scientists suscpects that it's caused by tangled parts between neurons. This swirls, which is the shape that the disease affects place, slowly consumes the whole brain. So far, this disease is not curable, but scientists are working hard to discover a medicine that would at least slow down the symptoms and pusth them from age of 65 to 75.
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