Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible disease that destroys the thinking skills and memory of an individual until they are not able to carry out simple daily activities. Most people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are ages 60 and above.

Alzheimer’s disease was named after a German doctor named Alois Alzheimer. He discovered drastic brain tissue changes in a dead woman who suffered from an unusual mental sickness.

Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia amongst the elderly. Dementia is the decline of cognitive functions that can interfere with activities and daily life.

Alzheimer’s starts at the part of the brain that affects short-term memory and slowly progresses to the other parts. Treatment can help slow down the progression and mage its symptoms, but it cannot cure Alzheimer’s.

Tangles and plaques in the brain are hallmarks for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s. Diminished function in the cell and even cell death are caused by a disconnection between nerve cells in the brain.

There is an estimated 2.4-4.5 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s. If the disease is not prevented or treated properly, this number will increase dramatically over the next few years.

Alzheimer’s is expected to become a emotional and physical challenge for more families and caregivers. This will put a heavy amount of burden on the economy.

Alzheimer’s is a slow progressive disease that can start with minor memory problems which can lead to more severe brain damage.  An elderly that is 80 years in age has at least 3-4 years from diagnosis to death, while an elderly that is younger has at least 10 years.

Factors like gender, severity of cognitive problems during diagnosis and presence of health problems can affect the length of the person’s life.

Dementia is a disease that refers to the decline of the cognitive functions that interferes with the individual’s lifestyle. This can cause the loss of thinking abilities and memory.

The most common causes of dementia in elderly are vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Other causes are alcoholism, brain clots, dehydration and high fever to name a few.

Stress, depression and other emotional problems are factors that can make people be more forgetful, which can be mistaken as dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment causes an individual to have more memory problems. Individuals with MCI don’t have cognitive problems or personality changes unlike Alzheimer’s patients.

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment and memory loss are said to have amnestic mild cognitive impairment, although symptoms of these individuals are not as severe as those of Alzheimer’s patients.