What is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.
Alzheimer's disease, first described by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, is a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells.
We also know that people with Alzheimer's have a shortage of some important chemicals in their brain. These chemicals are involved with thetransmission of messages within the brain.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, which means that gradually, over time, more parts of the brain are damaged. As this happens, the symptoms become more severe.
Symptoms:
People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may experience lapses of memory and have problems finding the right words. As the disease progresses they may:
* Become confused, and frequently forget the names of people, places, appointments and recent events.
* Experience mood swings. They may feel sad or angry. They may feel scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss.
* Become more withdrawn due either to a loss of confidence or to communication problems.
As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's will need more support from those who care for them. Eventually they will need help with all their daily activities.