Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alzheimers disorder - Essay ExampleThe frequency of AD increases with each adult of tenner life, reaching 20-40% of the population over the age of 85 (Fauci et.al, 2008). It is present in approximately 3% to 11% of people sr. than 65 years of age and in 25% to 47% of people honest-to-goodness than 85% (Seidel et.al, 2006).The cognitive changes with AD tend to follow a feature article pattern, beginning with memory damage and spreading to language and visuospatial deficits (Fauci et al., 2008). Initially, patients present with forgetfulness, with them having difficulty remembering recent events or names of familiar people. However, as the disease progresses, their cognition is affected and they no longer think clearly. Eventually, language deficits will present as problems in speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Problems with unproblematic activities of daily living (ADL) such as dressing, eating and solving simple calculations will soon follow.The most important risk factors for AD be old age & a positive family history (Fauci, et.al, 2008). The risk for AD increases with increasing age and although the most cases do not certify an inheritance patter, there is Familial Alzheimers Disease which is an inherited and rareform of this disease, occurring at an earlier onset. ... Females are affected more than males.At present, the only way to definitely diagnose Alzheimersis through a superstar autopsy but for living patients, physicians coffin nail correctly diagnose Alzheimersdisease about 90 percent of the age based on mental and behavioral symptoms, a physical examination, neuropsychological tests and laboratory tests (Alzheimers Disease Research, 2008). A thorough subjective and objective assessment is pertinent to do in a patient surmise of having AD. Signs and symptoms experienced by the patient, especially of mental and behavioral deficits, and a complete family history should be obtained from the patient. corporal examination and neuro psychological examinations are also performed to confirm or rule out any pathology make other types of dementia. Brain scans such as MRI and CT Scan can show characteristic structural changes present in Alzheimers disease as well as rule out flair tumors or ischemia as the cause for the dementia. EEG can also be performed to measure the school principal activity of the patient. Neuropsychological examinations include the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), to help confirm that the patient is experiencing problems with intellectual functions (Alzheimers Disease Research, 2008). Patients who have a family history should undergo tests in their early 30s to 40s and as a general screening, older population, especially those with initial symptoms should have Health Assessment 4themselves tested in their 50s or 60s. The tests can be repeated every 6 or 12 months, to verify the degree of progression of the dementia.Non-pharmacological prevention strategies include early prevention an d lifestyle modification. Proper diet, regular exercise