Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that causes complications in behavior, memory and thinking. Dementia is persistent mental disorder and different intellectual abilities caused by injury or brain disease that are serious enough to interfere with one’s daily tasks and are characterized by impaired reasoning, memory disorders, and personality changes. Alzheimer’s symptoms develop slowly and worsen over time. It is a progressive disease where memory loss is mild in the early stages but later progresses to severe cases of metal disorder and death (Henning & Schubert, 2003). It is chief to point out that Alzheimer is not a normal process of aging though its greatest risk is increasing age. Another fact is that there is no known cure but research and treatment for symptoms. The treatment does not stop it from progressing but momentarily slows the worsening conditions of the symptoms and improves the patient’s quality of life as well as their caregivers (Gidley & Shears, 1987). Research studies aim at finding better treatment methods, preventing the development, and delaying the onset of the disease.
The precise cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not known though there are a number of conditions thought to increase its development including; family history, increasing age, lifestyle conditions relating to cardiovascular disease, and severe head injuries. Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain and as it progresses; proteins build up in the brain forming plaques and tangles (Carlson, 2011). The plaques and tangles result in connection loss between nerve cells leading to the death of the cells and loss of brain tissue. There is also shortage of vital brain chemical which helps in transmitting signals around the nervous system. Brain cells are dependent on each other and require coordination for effective communication. The disruption of one part of the brain results in the challenges associated with mental disorders (Carlson, 2011). The damage to the cells is irreversible and causes changes to the brain and its functionality. Plaques build up in the spaces between nerve cells while tangles are twisted fibers in cells.
Aging is a contributing factor to the development of plaques and tangles among most people. However, for individuals’ suffering from Alzheimer’s the development is amplified and is in a predictable pattern initially affecting the areas important for memory. The damage to the brain starts earlier on before other cognitive challenges can be identified. The cause of Alzheimer’s is different from one person to the other (Zarka & Heterotopiske, 2011). Genetic mutation can be noted in early cases while environmental and lifestyle factors greatly vary. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s are more apparent late from its onset and the gene involved is the Apo lipoprotein E (APOE). The gene increases the risk and is also linked to the earlier commencement of the disease. A small percentage of the people represent the group where Alzheimer’s develops early on in life due to an inherited gene. Health is another contributing factor; vascular conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity relate to the decline of cognitive ability (Carlson, 2011; Hennig & Schubert, 2003).