The hippocampus removal eliminates the brain’s ability to keep information for long thereby causing permanent memory loss. It mostly affects the old people above the age of 60 years. Alzheimer’s disease later develops into dementia in later stages. Dementia is the complete collapse of memory capability.
The early signs include slow loss of cognitive skills and correct arrangement of words. A person who has Alzheimer's disease may experience a loss of judgment due to impairment of the brain tissues. According to Lindsay, Alzheimer’s disease has three stages of development. The first stage is the mild stage. In the mild stage, the victim experiences challenges in handling basic life activities such as counting money and repeating questions. The second one is the moderate stage. In this stage, the language and reasoning part of the brain is destroyed. It means that a victim is unable to communicate effectively or form a sound argument. The third stage is the severe Alzheimer's disease. In this stage, the victim’s brain shrinks thereby reducing their capability to reason or communicate. The victim loses the sense of responsibility. They, therefore, become entirely dependent on others.
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There are several causes of Alzheimer's disease such as environmental factors. Lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity are some of the contributing factors since they affect the metabolic functions of the body. It can also be caused by genetic factors.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, victims can be assisted in improving their living standards through keeping their brain active.
One of the leading causes of dependency and disabilities among the old people is dementia. It is a global challenge that has caused stress and devastation, not only to the victims, but also to their families. The prevalence of this disease has been facilitated by the lack of adequate awareness in the world. The disease is more common in developing countries than in developed countries. The impacts of this disease range from psychological effects to social and economic challenges.
The most common symptoms of dementia are loss of memory of people and places. This loss means that the victim becomes entirely dependent on care from their immediate family. The early stages of the disease start with mild forgetfulness while the advanced stages are characterized by complete loss of memory of people, places, loss of self-consciousness and the inability to track time.
While it is estimated that about 47.5 million people have dementia worldwide, there is no known cure for the disease. It is estimated that 58% of the victims come from low and middle-income families. The number is expected to keep rising in the coming years.
Treatment and care of this disease require early diagnosis so as to determine the best care for the victim. Research shows that the effects of dementia can be minimized through countering other risk factors that accompany it such as diabetes, obesity, and depression. It is also important for the old people to quit harmful habits such as smoking and drinking since they promote nervous breakdown.
References
Lindsay, J., & Anderson, L. (2004). Dementia/Alzheimer's disease. BMC women's health , 4 (1), S20.
Barnett, M.D., Maurer, S.H. and Wood, G.J., (2016). Pediatric palliative care pilot curriculum: impact of “pain cards” on resident education. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® , 33 (9), pp.829-833.
