What is Alzheimer's & What Happens When You Get Alzheimer's Disease?

What is Alzheimer's and what happens when you get it Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer's disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it. Today we know that Alzheimer's Is a common and serious brain disease.More than 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer's. Although symptoms can vary widely, the first problem many people notice is chronic memory loss.

Alzheimer's is a disease that destroys brain cells, hampers communication between neurons and seriously impairs a person's ability to function. Memory, language and thought are particularly affected. Symptoms include asking the same question over and over and getting lost in familiar places. The chances of Alzheimer's increases steadily after age 65, but it is not the mild memory decline associated with normal aging. It is a degenerative brain disease.

Alzheimer's disease has become a household term over the past decade. Nowadays, it seems, everyone knows someone who has Alzheimer's.The disease, which is marked by progressive loss of memory, affects about 9 percent of Americans over 65. Nationwide, there are some 5 million victims; in New Jersey, there are more than 180,000 people with some form of dementia, the majority of whom have Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's disease offers a particular cruelty to the loved ones of those afflicted by this menacing predator. The people you know and love disappear, slowly losing their faculties, their memories and their personalities while their bodies live on. Alzheimer's can cause the most committed believers to question their faith. It causes caregivers endless frustration and despair dealing with afflicted loved one. As our population ages, Alzheimer's will only increase rapidly.

Alzheimer's Defense