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FACTS on Alzheimer's Disease
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
- Disorder of brain that affects memory and the ability to think logically
- Slowly kills nerve cells in the brain
- Fourth leading cause of death in America
- Adult's chances (1-100)
- Affects about four million Americans today
- 1 in 20 adults, 65 and older, suffers from this
- About 47% of people over 85 have this disease
What are the Symptoms?
- Imperceptible personality changes and memory loss
- Memory loss worsen, may repeatedly ask the same questions
- Driving becomes more dangerous
- In early stages, susceptible to depression
- In middle stages, dementia becomes apparent (syndrome characterized by
deterioration of reasoning judgment and impulse control as well as changes
in memory and personality)
- People in this this lose the ability to read words or music
- Lose entire blocks of time
- Emotional problems more severe
- In later stages, lose physical coordination and need help with dressing
and bathing
- Can’t identify family and friends
Reversible Dementias
- Physicians must rule out:
- Depression
- Reactions to medications
- Chemical imbalances caused by various reasons
- Heart and lung problems that deprive brain of adequate amounts of
nutrition or oxygen
- Head injury form falls
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