A is for Alzheimer's Disease

Today starts the beginning of an alphabetical series featuring the most prevalent diseases.  We chose to explore Alzheimer's Disease as it is the most common form of dementia.  Statistics show that 4.5 million Americans have AD; 1 out of 3 families are affected by AD; 1 in 10 people over age 65 have AD; and 1 in 3 people over age 85 have AD.  The disease is degenerative and affects the brain from front to back, outside to inside.  To better understand, we need to know which part of the brain controls what.  Our brain weighs about three pounds; with the right side controlling language skills, logic, and spatial reasoning and the left side controlling creativity and emotion.  Four lobes of the brain, frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital, further divide the control.
Remember, AD affects the brain from front to back.  In the front of the brain are the frontal lobe and the temporal lobe.  The frontal lobe controls judgement, attention cognition, and personality.  The temporal lobe controls language.   AD insidiously attacks these lobes first.  Think of of it this way, AD starts as dementia, which is characterized by memory loss and changes in short term memory.  Family and friends may notice that something is not quite right.  In this first stage, the person can cover up problems.  He may become depressed due to fear or embarrassment.  He may have difficulty working with numbers, paying bills, balancing his checkbook, or even making change.  He may have trouble finding the right word or using words incorrectly.  What is frightening is that the person may begin making bad decisions, becoming easily persuaded to make purchases or make unwise financial decisions.  Sadly, it seems as though we are always hearing about elders being victimized by scam artists who prey upon the impaired judgement of the dementia sufferer.  In time the Alzheimer's patient's memory loss  increases dramatically and sleep disturbances begin.  He gets lost even in familiar places.  He needs help with activities of daily living such as bathing, house keeping, and meal preparation.  At this point the AD sufferer becomes suspicious, anxious, or has angry outbursts.  He becomes more confused about time.  It is now that disease has the control and the patient needs constant supervision.  In the last stage, the back of the brain, the parietal lobe controlling sensory perception and skilled movement, and the occipital lobe controlling visual association succumb to the disease.  Motor skills such as walking and eating are lost.  Bladder and bowel incontinence sets in.  The patient has problems swallowing.  His meaningful speech is gone and he does not recognize family or self.  AD is a slow gradual deterioration of the brain that eventually results in death because the areas of the brain that control swallowing, thirst, and breathing will be damaged.  Individuals usually die from complications such as pneumonia, heart failure, diabetes, or infections.
There is not yet a cure for Alzheimer's  Disease, but maintaining good health is important because other conditions can make the disease process worse.  For more information about AD, go to http://www.alz.org/index.asp 
Remember, if your loved one is showing early signs of AD and you need help caring for him or her, let Superior Health Inc.'s quality staff help.  For more information on our services, please go to http://www.superiorhealthinc.com/superiorhealthinc.com/Services.html