Alzheimer’s disease is named after a doctor (Alcis Alzheimer) who first represented it as a bodily disease that attacks the soft convoluted mass of nervous tissue within the skull of vertebrates. This mass of nervous tissue is the controlling and coordinating centre of the nervous system and the seat of memory, thought and emotion. When a person is suffering from the said disease, a large group of nitrogenous compounds of high molecular weight that are essential constituents of all living organisms , form in the soft convoluted mass of nervous tissue called ‘plaques’ or ‘tangles’. This results in the loss of connections between nerve cells leading to their non existences and ultimately leading to the loss of soft convoluted mass of nervous tissue.
People who are suffering from the above mentioned disease also have less quantity of some chemicals in their nervous tissue. These chemical messengers aid in carrying signals around the soft nervous tissue. When there is not enough quantity of the said chemicals the transmission of signals are also affected. Nowadays treatment is done to improve the levels of chemical messengers in the soft nervous tissue within the skull of vertebrates. There are many causes for the occurrence of the disease, which can be discussed below.
Age is the most important factor for Alzheimer’s disease .People above the age of 65 years become the victims of this disease. Women tend to suffer more from this disease than men after they reach the age of 65. This difference can be explained by the fact that women are more prone to be attacked by the said disease as there is an absence of the hormone oestrogen after menopause. Many people have the fear that the disease can be inherited from their parent or grandparents. It has been proved that only a few families have inherited the same from one generation to another. People with Down’s syndrome are at a risk of acquiring Alzheimer’s because of the difference in their genetic makeup.
Diabetes, stroke and heart problem such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity in middle age all contribute to the risk of acquiring the said disease. The symptoms of the said disease are progressive that develops from mild to severe damage to the soft nervous tissue. In the early stage people may have difficulty in remembering recent events and learning new information’s. This occurs because a part of the soft nervous tissue called ‘hippocampus’ gets affected in the early stage. They can remember the life events the t happened long time back. Gradually the person may lose items like key, glasses. He may struggle to find a right word during conversations or forget one’s name.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s. The affected person should have a talk with professionals like a psychiatrist, mental health nurse or a clinical psychologist. There are drug treatments for the disease mentioned above. A person in mild or moderate stages or mixed memory loss are prescribed clonepezil rivastigmine or galantamine.The drug may cure memory problems, improve concentration and motivation and help a person to do his daily chores like cooking, shopping or hobbies. A person in moderate or severe stage is advice to have meantime which aids in improving the mental abilities and daily living and help him to overcome challenging behaviours such as agitation and delusions.
Mike Morgan is a health enthusiast and has written several health articles for various health magazines.
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