Can I Catch Alzheimer's?

With an ever increasing population and the rise of the brain degenerating disease called Alzheimer's around the world, the question of whether you can catch Alzheimer's from person to person is an obvious question that will arise. The latest news has announced that the US country singer "Glen Campbell" has been diagnosed with the condition, which goes to show that the disease is one that anybody can develop. Which leads to a growing awareness amongst young people the world over that Alzheimer's disease is a serious condition.

The question of whether the condition is contagious, is one being asked by a growing trend amongst the young. The reason for this is that the disease is affecting people of a younger and younger age. The term "Early Onset Dementia" is a term that is being widely used in adverts for charities raising money for research, to show that the disease is not an "old person only" disease. There are common cases where people in their early forties are developing Alzheimer's with rare cases being reported of people of an age even younger than this developing the condition.

It's not surprising people ask the question, given that when you hear Alzheimer's is an incurable disease and the degeneration of the brain is so severe that we will eventually need constant care. Its quite understandable that we begin to tell ourselves that we don't want to catch that disease. The fear of hearing that even young people of sound and healthy mind suddenly began to forget everyday things like where they lived or remembering people's names once the condition worsens, makes you grateful of not having the disease. Memory loss is a condition of having dementia and this can be one of the many affects that Alzheimer's will have on the person. It not only effects the person but also the people around them such as family and friends because of the care needs the person will eventually need.

So, can you catch Alzheimer's from another person. In short the answer is NO. Alzheimer's disease is not a disease that you can catch from another person. The thought of someone coughing or sneezing and you being at risk of catching the disease is one of myth. The disease is yet unknown in it's true form. But it is thought widely to be a genetic disease. There is no cure as yet and no one is quite sure why one person will develop the disease and another person won't.

Millions of dollars a year is being spent trying to find a cure. It is believed that Alzheimer's disease will be one of the worlds top 10 natural killers as we approach the year 2050 and beyond. Scientists say that there are ways to help fend off the chances of developing Dementia by having a healthy lifestyle. This means eating regularly with a diet of fresh fruit and veg. Drinking plenty of water and having regular exercise. You should also try to exercise your mind as much as the rest of your body. Try doing puzzles often or talk about your past experiences to a family member as these will help your brain keep the memory neurons active in your brain.

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You can read more on Dementia and learn more about living with Alzheimer's at http://www.dementia.co.uk/.

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