Health Questions Part 1-Altzheimers
By cyntrow
@cyntrow (8523)
United States
July 27, 2007 6:57pm CST
When I was growing up, elderly people who were forgetting things and not quite in their right minds were seen as senile. They were placed in "old age homes" where they were properly medicated and lived the rest of their lives in oblivion. Nowadays, every case of mental deficiancy of the elderly is diagnosed as "altzheimers" and there is very mention of senility. Even, dementia, is known as altzheimers.
So my question is, Is there really no such thing as senility. ARe all elderly people who were once referred to as senile actually suffering from Altzheimers? Or is Altzheimers just the "new" senile.
I would be interested in hearing from medical professionals, but I'd also love to hear from lay persons, such as myself, and other theorists.
Thanks.
2 responses
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Your question made me wonder, so I went to the dictionary.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
se·nile (se'nil', sen'il') Pronunciation Key
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of old age.
2. Relating to or exhibiting memory loss or mental impairment associated with aging.
3. Geology Worn away nearly to the base level, as at the end of an erosion cycle.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
de·men·tia (di-men'sh?) Pronunciation Key
n.
1. Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes.
2. Madness; insanity. See Synonyms at insanity.
WordNet - Cite This Source
alzheimers
noun
a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness [syn: Alzheimer's disease]
So...it sounds like they are similar but not quite the same.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
28 Jul 07
Senility and Alzheimers are not the same thing. Calgary Health Link explains the difference in the link below, if you would like to learn more:
http://yourhealth.calgaryhealthregion.ca/Topic.jsp?GUID=%7BF4A3CA5D-1A3F-40D7-BF2D-9FE082153F09%7D
My, that was a long URL--I hope I typed it in correctly. Can't wait to get to the magic 500!
