The 5 most dangerous diseases of the brain. Alzheimer’s( 5. 3 million deaths/U.
S. )Alzheimer’s disease is responsible for 1 out of 3 deaths in The U. S. per year. The leading cause of this disease is age. People who get Alzheimer’s disease are usually older, but the disease isn’t a normal part of aging. It happens when the arteries are blocked by blood cells. As you get older, your blood cells decline, but, if your blood cells stop, then that can block the arteries.
Scientists aren’t sure why some people get it and others don’t. The leading cause for this disease is brain cell decline which means the rapid loss of brain cells. Alzheimer’s happens when you are in the age group of 65 and older but it can also happen when you are younger.
If your parents have the gene that causes Alzheimer’s, then there is a 23% chance that you will get the disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, meaning that it worsens over time. People with first stage Alzheimer’s might seem to not talk alot and have constant mood changes, in the second stage, you will find the person having trouble remembering basic things like family or his house. There is no given cure but scientists are getting there. Parkinson’s ( 1 million deaths/ U. S. )Parkinson’s is the cause of 3 out of 100 deaths in the United States. The cause of this disease is idiopathic which means that there is no known cause of this disease.
Like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s is a progressive disease and has many stages and symptoms. You start out with tremors (Shakiness) and stiffness ( not fluid motions in joints). Then you will start to see slowed down movements and after some years balance problems.
Since the second stage comes after living with Parkinson’s for more than 10 years, doctors determine inhabitance of the disease by the number of neurons in your brain. If you have more a normal amount, then you don’t have the disease. All the symptoms together form a symptom complex called parkinsonian syndrome or parkinsonism. Parkinsonism is such a common symptom complex that it is given two names. If you have parkinsonism with Parkinson’s disease, then it is called primary parkinsonism.
If you have parkinsonism with another disease, then it is called secondary parkinsonism. This disease can also lead to depression, memory loss, and trouble with concentration. It isn’t that both genders can’t have this disease, but it usually happens to males over the age of 50. The is only a 5% chance that people under 50 can get the disease.
Huntington’s-HD( more than 100, 000 deaths/U. S. )Huntington’s disease is the cause of more than one hundred thousand deaths in the U. S. It happens when brain tissue dies at an abnormally large rate.
This can impact the arteries and mess with the blood circulation of the brain. Later neurons are lost and can lead to athetosis and chorea. Athetosis ar types of movements that are slow and chorea are movements that are purposeless. HD is a hereditary disease, meaning that parent can pass on the gene that causes HD to their kids.
This is a big reason to why HD can happen to all ages. Some other symptoms are tilted posture and balance problems. Victims may have a loss of previously learned academic or physical skills. Kids with HD can have a rapid or significant drop in school performance. With it, you have a high chance of having a seizure and you will have to go to the doctor way too often. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease-CJD( more than 150, 000 deaths/ U. S. )CJD is caused by an abnormal infectious protein in the brain called a prion.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative brain disorder. It affects about one person in every one million people per year worldwide; in the United States, there are about 300 cases per year. Although it is rare, it is also fatal disorder killing the victim in less than 1 month. There are three types of CJD. In sporadic CJD, the victim has no known risk factors and is the most common form of CJD. In Hereditary CJD, the victim is diagnosed by Family history.
In Acquired CJD is diagnosed by exposure to brain tissue of another with the disease. This disease usually happens to doctor’s. Only one case has been filed for acquired CJD and it is the least common form of CJDCerebrovascular Disease-Stroke( more than 140, 000 deaths/U.
S. )This disease refers to a group of conditions that can lead to cerebrovascular events such as a stroke. Some symptoms are sudden headaches and nausea. This disease is the 5th most common cause of death only in the United States. Some other types of Cerebrovascular are-Ischemic stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked by a blood clot or plaque.
A clot, or thrombus, may form in an artery that is already narrow. A stroke happens when the lack of blood supply results in the death of brain cells.-Hemorrhagic stroke: occurs when a blood vessel in part of the brain becomes weak and bursts open, causing blood to leak into the brain.
This puts pressure on the brain tissue, causing tissue damage. The hemorrhage can also cause a loss of blood supply to other parts of the brain.- An aneurysm : can result from defects in the blood vessels of the brain.
If a blood vessel ruptures, the flow of blood that follows can damage brain cells.-An embolism: happens when a clot breaks off from elsewhere in the body and travels up to the brain to block a smaller artery. This may cause an embolic stroke. Medications for the diseasesAlzheimer’s: Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s.
But drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors and Memantine are used to treat the cognitive symptoms (memory loss, confusion, and problems with thinking and reasoning) of Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s: Most people can get relief from their Parkinson’s symptoms with medicines.
But some may need surgery if their medications aren’t working well enough. Levodopa and carbidopa . L-dopa is the most commonly prescribed medicine for Parkinson’s. It’s also the best at controlling the symptoms of the condition, particularly slow movements and stiff, rigid body parts. Huntington’s : Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine, have a side effect of suppressing movements. In that case, they may be beneficial in treating chorea. However, these drugs may worsen involuntary contractions and muscle rigidity.
Antidepressants include such drugs as citalopram , escitalopram , fluoxetine and sertraline . These drugs may also have some effect on treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. Side effects may include nausea, diarrhea, drowsiness and low blood pressure.
CJD : Currently there is no cure for CJD. Researchers have tested many drugs, including antibiotics, antiviral agents, interferon and steroids. Cerebrovascular disease : For hemorrhagic disease, treatment options will be geared toward stopping the bleeding and preventing a recurrence of bleeding, which may be accomplished through catheters, surgery and wire mesh stents. Treatments for carotid artery disease, meanwhile, aim to prevent an embolism, or a piece of plaque or a blood clot that has the potential to break away from the arterial wall and travel to another, smaller artery, where it will become lodged and block blood flow.
