Alzheimers Disease: An Emerging Affliction of the Aging Population - Essay Example

As the disease progresses there are incredible changes in regards to the person's personality and behavior, and in particular they are likely to become more agitated, less aware, and more suspicious and agitated. Although there is no known cure, we learn from this article in the very beginning that there are certain signs and symptoms that can be recognized which will let us know whether or not it may possibly be Alzheimer's disease, and for instance, one of the first symptoms that you are most likely to notice is that of a slowly increasing memory loss, in that you will start noticing more and more that you do not remember certain things, even if it is only small things here and there, you will still begin to notice that the memory loss is gradually getting worse rather than going away.

This article also discusses to us how the disease progresses, as it states that as it progresses "the brain begins to deteriorate more rapidly, until it literally stops functioning". Not only that, but as well "Of great concern is the projection that the number of people who will have Alzheimer's disease will double by the year 2030 because of the rising elderly population". Thus we can see that because there is now a larger majority of elderly people, there is thus also a larger majority of people who are and who are going to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and so this really needs to be taken incredibly seriously into consideration because there is thus going to have to be more intricate and more dedicated solutions that are brought to the table so that we as the general population are ready for this sudden surge in regards to this disease.

This disease is the most common form of dementia, and dementia is basically a group of conditions that all gradually form and come together and end up destroying brain cells and results in leading to a serious and progressive decline in mental and physical function and ability. The way that Alzheimer's will progress will vary depending on the particular person's circumstance and situation, and so it really cannot be foretold, and the duration of the illness will typically vary from 3 to 20 years, with the areas of the brain the control the person's memory and thinking abilities being attacked first, thus explaining why the first noticeable signs and symptoms have to do with sudden memory loss.

The disease will then continue to progress from there, and the sufferer will end up having to have some sort of care once the disease has progressed to a certain point, as the person will basically not be able to do anything mentally or physically on their own, thus having to depend on others to get them by even the simplest daily activities. It is truly one of the most debilitating diseases of all, as it attacks in various forms and in varying degrees of progression, and so it is really important to keep an eye out for even the smallest signs of the disease, as is pointed out in this article.

When we look at the finances that are spoken of in this article in regards to Alzheimer's disease, one of the most major facts that we see pointed out in regards to finances is that of how "Treating this population will escalate from the current estimate in excess of $2.5 billion to more than $6 billion". This is obviously a