Alois Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist, he discovered the disease in 1906. (Vishal) Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to language problems, personality changes and overall and severe memory loss. (Funk & Wagnalls) Alzheimer 's disease is a form of dementia and the most common cause of the loss of mental function. The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years. Though symptoms that appear before age sixty have occurred, it is called early-onset alzhiemers, it is less common and tends to run in families they also tend to progress more rapidly. accounting for less than 10 percent of the estimated 5 million Alzheimer 's cases in the United States. It worsens with the advancing of age, although there is no evidence that it is caused by the aging process. It is not a normal part of aging. It is estimated that about 5 million Americans today have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia disorders. Dementia is not an actual disease, but has a vast range of symptoms which are characteristics used to help identify many other types of diseases like Alzheimer’s. There are a series of steps taken during diagnosis to see if they have progressed to dementia and to identify which disease caused those symptoms. These stages are preclinical, a mild cognitive impairment and dementia. There are three sub-stages that deal with protein in the preclinical stage, plaque buildup in the brain called beta-amyloid. …show more content…
The average life expectancy of a person who has Alzheimer’s Disease is anywhere from five to ten years, but some patients today can live up to fifteen years due to the improvements of modern technology and medications. Doctors promote communication in preventing behavior problems and enhancing your patient’s quality of life by allowing them to feel, even when they no longer know or recognize those around them that they are in the midst of people who care about them and are concerned about their physical and emotional wellbeing. Alzheimer 's disease takes a devastating toll, not only on the patients, but also on those who love and care for them. Some patients experience immense fear and frustration as they struggle with once commonplace tasks and slowly lose their independence. Family, friends, and especially those who provide daily care suffer immeasurable pain and stress as they witness Alzheimer 's disease slowly take