Garnet Starr
3/26/17
Eng 161

No Way Out but Death
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common case of dementia; it is generalized degeneration of the brain that destroys many mental functions and can occur in middle to old age. Although it is most common in old age it is not a normal part of the aging process and can also effect younger people. This is known as early-onset Alzheimer’s. The lifespan of people with the disease varies but it usually about 8-10 years and in some cases, has been 20 years. There has not been enough reach to know if Alzheimer’s is inherited but certain genes do make someone more likely to develop it. There are three stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and although …show more content…
As early signs and symptoms start they are not normally diagnosed. At first one usually has non-memory difficulties such as finding the right words to use or impaired reasoning. The disease does not follow the same course person to person, symptoms usually start slow and within time get worse. As the disease continues to progress people began to have much memory loss. This is when they move into the stage called mild Alzheimer. People in this stage start to have a hard time remembering new things that were just learned or where they have placed things. And they can have trouble with direction and can get lost easily. This is when the disease is normally diagnosed. The next stage moderate Alzheimer people start to suffer anything from memory loss and confusion to hallucination and paranoia. People can also experience problems with recognizing family and friends and impulsive behavior. The last stage known as severe Alzheimer’s disease people can no longer communicate and need to receive complete care from others. They tend to stay in bed because their body is shutting down. Other symptoms are weight loss from having a hard time swallowing, skin infections and …show more content…
There are two types of medications that have been approved by the FDA, cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, these medications help with memory loss, confusion and problems with reasoning. With the use of these, symptoms may be lessened or slowed down for a limited time. Outside of medication there are other ways to help with symptoms of Alzheimer’s and that is trying to address the needs the person with the disease. By understanding that person with Alzheimer’s isn’t acting out but may be experiencing further symptoms and by making the environment more comfortable for the person will help ease the mind and give the person suffering some security. There are many clinical trials that are focused on finding new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. In these trails medications are tested to see how the effect the disease. There is also being research done for a vaccine for Alzheimer’s and ways to diagnose the disease sooner.
Alzheimer’s is always fatal. By the end stage of the disease people lose the ability to eat and remember to even swallow. People who are in the end stage of the disease require around the clock care. At this stage people with the disease become prone to get infections. Eventually, people with Alzheimer’s will die either from some infection or dehydration or some other misfortune which Alzheimer’s has