Alzheimer s Disease A Serious Progressive Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a serious progressive disease. There is no cure for it. There have been an estimated 5.3 million people that had this disease in 2015. 5.1 million of those people were 65 years old or older. 200,000 of those people where under 65 and had the detection of the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s Association (2015) Early detection of this disease is important and imperative in the treatment. Many patients that are suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease don’t find out from their doctor till it is in their progressive stage. Alzheimer’s is classified as one of the costliest diseases in society. Total estimated cost of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease is 226 billion dollars. 153 billion is the cost to Medicaid†¦show more content†¦Symptoms There have been said to be ten major signs and symptoms that indicate the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Memory loss that disrupts daily life, Challenges in planning or solving problems such as not being able to keep track of monthly bills. Difficulty doing simple task at home, work, or leisure. Confusion with time or place may be a warning sign. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships such as having difficulty reading. Misplacing things are unable to retrace steps. Poor judgement is also an indicator of this disease. Withdraw from work or social activities. Then changes in mood and personality such depression, anxiety, and confusion. Alzheimer’s Association (2015) Know the Early Signs, Early Detection Matters. Lab and Testing Alzheimer’s Disease is diagnosed after other conditions are ruled out. A family member or someone in close contact with the person should be present at the appointment. A family member may be able to provide the best information about how a person s day-to-day functioning, memory, and personality have changed. In the initial test the doctor will use a medical history and a medical exam to help find out if a physical problem may be causing the person s symptoms. Sometimes another problem can cause the same symptoms as Alzheimer’s. The person will also have a functional status exam during these exams, the