Alzheimer's disease attacks the brain; it
is not a normal part of aging. People with AD have a gradual memory loss and
difficulties with language and emotions. The progressive loss of intellectual
abilities is termed dementia. As the disease
advances, the person may need help in all aspects of life: bathing, eating, and
using the restroom. Because of this round-the-clock care, families and friends
of people with AD are greatly affected. The disease is irreversible and there is
currently no cure.
Dyslexia is a disorder that is
characterized by a difficulty processing words. Reading problems are one symptom
of dyslexia. "Dys" means bad or difficult and "lexia" means
word. The problem was first described in 1896 by Dr. W. Pringle Morgan in
England. He wrote of a "bright and intelligent boy quick at games and in no
way inferior to others of his age. His great difficulty has been - and is now -
his inability to learn to read."
Lyme disease was first discovered in 1975
after a mysterious outbreak of arthritis in children who lived near Lyme,
Connecticut. Lyme disease is an infectious disease (a disease caused by an
outside agent) that affects the skin first, then the joints, the nervous system
and, if untreated, eventually other organs.