My name is Jason and I'm currently attending college for Pre-medicine.
My favorite thing about college would definitely have to be the total
freedom. Not being told when to do stuff or how to do it. My favorite
food is Taco Bell taco's, they may have the lowest grade meat but as
long as it doesn't kill me, it's my favorite. I am most proud of my
little brother because even though I'm not home right now he's still
turning out to be a good kid. Ten years from now I would like to have
graduated from medical school and working in surgery in some hospital.
My favorite quote would have to be "It's not the size of the dog
in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog", if you can't
tell, I'm small. The most important thing that needs changing in the
world is that people need to realize that we're only here for a short
amount of time and we need to make the most positive impact we can on
others.
Alzheimer's
disease is one of the most common causes of the loss of mental function,
known simply as dementia. It accounts for at least fifty percent of
all dementias. Alzheimer's is a progressive disorder that gradually
deteriorates brain cells responsible for everything from performing
mathematical equations to doing the most menial of tasks such as eating
food. It will eventually lead to total memory loss and loss of all physical
functions. Alzheimer's usually develops in older people, typically past
the age of fifty. People may live for up to twenty years once diagnosed
with Alzheimer's, but the average person will remain alive for only
about four to eight years.
Alzheimer's is caused by the build up of plaques around brain cells
and tangled fibers which inevitably cause your brain cells to simply
die off. Although the actual cause of these events are unknown there
are some ideas about how they come about. Some possible causes could
be inflammation of the brain due to trauma, vascular problems, toxins,
malnutrition, or infections. It is also believed that it can be genetically
inherited.
Some symptoms of Alzheimer's may include memory loss such as forgetting
where you placed your car keys or glasses. This problem can then grow
such as placing your glasses in the freezer and using poor judgment,
such as not wearing clothing suitable for the weather. The patient will
also encounter problems performing everyday tasks that he or she has
done their entire life such as washing dishes or driving a car. He or
she may also become disoriented such as not knowing how he or she showed
up in a particular place with no recollection of where they are or how
they got there.
Approximately four million people in the United States alone suffer
from Alzheimer's. This disease affects 5% of people over sixty-five
and 20% of people over eighty.
Even though there currently is no cure for Alzheimer's disease there
are medications and treatment facilities for afflicted people that can
allow them to live out their days peacefully. There may be no cure for
Alzheimer's but there may be some possibilities for preventing or delaying
it. Use your mind, don't let it go to waste. Constantly challenge your
mind and learn new things. It's never too late to learn, learn to speak
a different language when you thirty-two or if you're right handed try
doing everything such as eating and writing with your left hand. Studies
have also shown that people with a low source of vitamin B12 may be
more at risk and prone to this terrible disease. It is possible that
within the next twenty years there could be a cure for Alzheimer's so
we never have to deal with this affliction again.
On a more personal note my mother used to work in a nursing home where
all she did was work with Alzheimer's patients for about five years.
It is sad to watch people you know, love, and care about waste away
to nothing over the years, with them not even able to remember who you
or they are.
Bibliography
Kelly,
William E. Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. Charles C. Thomas
Publishing, Springfield IL. 1984
http://www.mamashealth.com/Alzheimers.asp,
Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's
Disease: Unraveling The Mystery. http://www.alzheimers.org/unravel.html.