"It is a strange, sad irony that so often, in the territory of a disease that robs an individual of memory, caregivers are often forgotten." - Karen Wilder
Alzheimer’s named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer is known to be the most common brain disease in the world. Wrongly taken as a memory loss disorder, Alzheimer’s a progressive disease caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. One of the proteins involved is called amyloid, deposits of which form plaques around brain cells which leads the brain cells to degenerate and die. The origin of this disease goes back to 1906 when Dr. Alziemers noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. he then compared the dead woman's brain with a healthy and fully functional brain he concluded that this disease causes continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that disrupts a person's ability to function independently. Alzheimer's is a slowly progressive brain disease that begins many years before symptoms even emerge. The early signs of the disease may be as simple as forgetting recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, a person with Alzheimer’s will develop severe memory impairment and lose the ability to carry out everyday tasks. Well, a study has shown that there is a possibility that almost everybody has the genes that makes you more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Genes control the function of every cell in your body. Some genes determine basic characteristics, such as the color of your eyes and hair. Other genes can make you more likely to develop certain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have identified several genes associated with Alzheimer's disease. Some genes increase your likelihood of developing the disease (risk genes). Others guarantee that you will develop a disease (deterministic genes), though these are rare. However, genetic risk factors are just one of the factors involved in getting Alzheimer's disease. There are medications like cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine and also management strategies that may temporarily improve symptoms, but no cure exists yet. It is estimated that there are approximately 44 million people worldwide living with Alzheimer's disease.
For 60-year-old Sukhdev Raj, the early symptoms of Alzheimer's began when he started forgetting simple things. One fine morning as he went for his regular walk he did not return back home. Sukhdev Raj forgot his address. He was lost and it took five gruesome days for his family to find him lying on the side of a highway in bushes. It's not just one person who suffers but it's an entire family that suffers. There are many such families suffering from Alzheimer's and with no cure, this number is just increasing every minute.
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