Written by Elif Gulce Batgi
Are you an absent-minded person? Do you forget things and face the consequences of the things you forget? The feeling of the lost moments of your memories and the people in them? These things are super standard in a person’s life, but things get harder and harder when a person becomes older and starts to forget most of their memories and the individuals they met day by day.
In most movies and series, Alzheimer's disease is usually reflected in elder people forgetting their family members. If it would be asked what you know about Alzheimer, the first thing which would come to people’s mind would be this kind of movie and series that they watched on TV, but at that moment the biological side of Alzheimer's should be investigated and known.
A healthy human brain shrinks the consequence of aging, but surprisingly, the amount of neurons does not change that much. In Alzheimer's disease, the damage is common because many neurons die, lose their connections with other ones and stop functioning[Natural Institute, (n.d.)]. Also, Alzheimer's affects processes that are essential to neurons and their networks which involve communication, metabolism, and repair[Natural Institute, (n.d.)]. Firstly, Alzheimer's destroys neurons and their connection with the other parts of the brain that contains memory, including the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus[Natural Institute, (n.d.)]. Then the effect spreads to the areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior[Natural Institute, (n.d.)].
It slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and the person becomes one who does not even carry out the simplest tasks[Alzheimer’s disease, (n.d.)]. It is the most common cause of dementia11, which means the loss of cognitive functioning such as thinking, remembering, behavioral activities, and the activities used in daily life[Alzheimer’s disease, (n.d.)]. Alzheimer's is a dangerous disease that may cause death because the neurons stop functioning[Natural Institute, (n.d.)].
Even though the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is still in process and does not have an exact and effective treatment, there are still a couple of ways to protect yourself from the disease as much as you can. Most of the ways that scientists suggest people are shaped by attaching importance to the brain, such as playing an instrument, reading books, being active in social life, and learning language[Alzheimer’s disease, 2018]. Also, stop smoking, do sports, keep alcohol to a minimum, eat a healthy and balanced diet, and visit the hospital regularly for tests[Alzheimer’s disease, 2018].
References:
Alzheimer's disease - Prevention. (2018, May 10). NHS.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/prevention/.
Alzheimer's disease fact sheet. (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet#.
What happens to the brain in Alzheimer's disease? (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease.
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