A chronic illness is a long-term health condition that may not have a cure. Examples of chronic illnesses are: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic diseases and medical conditions are different from each other. A chronic condition is an illness that affects a person for a prolonged period of time.
For example, someone with diabetes may have to take insulin for the rest of his or her life. On the other hand, if someone has a heart attack, he or she may be able to live a normal life for many years.
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What type of disease is dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Alzheimer’s is not a part of normal aging. Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain and nervous system.
It is caused by a buildup of amyloid plaques and tangles of tau protein in the brains of people with the disease. These proteins build up over time and can cause memory loss, confusion, and problems with thinking and judgment. People with dementia often have trouble remembering things and making decisions. They may also be unable to concentrate or pay attention in class or at work.
Is dementia chronic and irreversible?
Neurological disorders result in the loss of brain function. Dementia is the most common cause of death in the elderly. It is caused by the accumulation of damage to brain cells, which leads to a gradual decline of brain function and eventually to death. (AD) is one of the leading causes of disability in older people. AD is characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, confusion, disorientation, and impaired judgment and decision-making.
Is dementia considered a disability?
SSA to find you eligible for benefits, they need to prevent you from working for more than a year. If you can’t work 40 hours a week because of your dementia symptoms, you should apply for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income.
If you are unable to work because of your mental illness, your employer may be able to provide you with a reasonable accommodation. For more information, contact your state’s Department of Human Services.
Can dementia be cured?
Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and dementia retinitis pigmentosa are some of the causes of dementia. Dementia is the most common cause of death in the UK. It is estimated that one in five people over the age of 65 will suffer from dementia at some point in their lives.
What is the most fatal type of dementia?
(CJD) is a rare and fatal form of dementia, caused by abnormal prion proteins that are toxic to the brain.
In the new study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) found that mice with a mutation in a gene that encodes a protein that regulates the production of prions were protected from developing the disease.
The findings could lead to new treatments for CJD and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the researchers said. Mice with the defective gene were found to have lower levels of the protein, called PrPSc, in their brains, compared to mice without the mutation. This protein is essential for the normal functioning of brain cells, and it is known to play a key role in brain development and function.
When the mice were exposed to a high dose of a neurotoxin, known as Tylenol, they developed brain damage and died within a few days of exposure.