Introduction to Alzheimer\'s Disease
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by plaque and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. These formations disrupt key brain processes.
Interesting facts about Alzheimer's disease:
- About 4.5 million senior citizens in America have Alzheimer's disease.
- The older you get, the more prevalent the disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, "One in 10 individuals over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 are affected."
- Alzheimer's disease starts slowly and then progresses. It starts by damaging memory and eventually damages so many brain cells that the patient can no longer think.
- Some of the warning signs for Alzheimer's disease include: problems with memory that go beyond simple lapses of memory, problems with picking the right word (for example, forgetting that a bed is called a bed), getting lost in familiar places, problems completing common tasks (like getting dressed), putting things where they clearly do not belong, and so on.
- Once you get Alzheimer's disease there is no way to cure it, but some drugs can slow down the progress.
- The average person with Alzheimer's disease lives eight years.
