Every 70 seconds, someone will develop Alzheimer's disease. There is something you desperately need to know about the disease, that is, if you plan on living past the age of 60, because no one is immune. Today it is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
Our brains change as we age just as the rest of our organs do. Most of us notice some slowed thinking and occasional problems with remembering certain things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the way our minds work are not a normal part of aging. They may be a sign that brain cells are failing.
September 21 is World Alzheimer's Day, a day when the Alzheimer's Association joins with organizations and people around the globe to raise awareness about Alzheimer's and its impact on our families, communities and nations. Today, 35 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's and related dementias, and this number is growing rapidly.
World Alzheimer's Day is an opportunity to raise donations and awareness about Alzheimer's disease and the need for more education, support and research. Take action by joining one of the many World Alzheimer's Day events. More information in Hospice Thousand Oaks!
Memory Walk 2010 is a unique experience. See the difference you can make as we walk to change the course of Alzheimer's together.
Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $300 million for the cause.
All Memory Walk donations benefit the Alzheimer's Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. The mission of the Alzheimer's Association is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride. Researchers have taken to the road, cycling from San Francisco to Washington D.C., to collect signatures asking Congress to make Alzheimer's a national priority. This 66-day effort will end on World Alzheimer's Day at the steps of Capitol Hill, where the Alzheimer's Association and Breakthrough Riders will deliver tens of thousands of signatures to our elected officials.
What exactly is Alzheimer ’s disease?
The human brain is your most unique and powerful organ, yet a healthy one weighs only about three pounds. It has three main parts:
The Cerebrum fills up most of your skull. It is involved in remembering, problem solving, thinking, and feeling. It also controls movement.
The Cerebellum sits at the back of your head, under the cerebrum. It controls coordination and balance.
The Brain Stem sits beneath your cerebrum in front of your cerebellum. It connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls automatic functions such as breathing, digestion, heart rate and blood pressure.
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The real work of your brain goes on in individual cells. An adult brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, with branches that connect at more than 100 trillion points. Scientists call this dense, branching network a "neuron forest." Signals traveling through the neuron forest form the basis of memories, thoughts, and feelings.Neurons are the chief type of cell destroyed by Alzheimer's disease.
Signals that form memories and thoughts move through an individual nerve cell as a tiny electrical charge. Nerve cells connect to one another at synapses. When a charge reaches a synapse, it may trigger release of tiny bursts of chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters travel across the synapse, carrying signals to other cells. Scientists have identified dozens of neurotransmitters.
Alzheimer's disease disrupts both the way electrical charges travel within cells and the activity of neurotransmitters.
100 billion nerve cells! 100 trillion synapses! Dozens of neurotransmitters! This "strength in numbers" provides your brain's raw material. Over time, our experiences create patterns in signal type and strength. These patterns of activity explain how, at the cellular level, our brains code our thoughts, memories, skills and sense of who we are.
Alzheimer's disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all of its functions. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and is fatal. Visit alz.org to find a Memory Walk event in your area or locate another volunteer opportunity to help end the disease. Visit Hospice Ventura County for more information or help! Need Payday loans? Online Payday Loans and Direct Lender Information on protein Protein Powder Reviews
Very nice comprehensive description of Alzheimers and the issues surrounding it. Thanks for sharing!
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