We all forget things. We put our keys down and forget where we placed them. We look for our glasses when they're on our heads! Maybe we are suddenly frightened, wondering whether we are developing Alzheimer's. How would we know? According to the Mayo Clinic, the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may be mild confusion or occasional forgetfulness. Maybe you forget where you put your keys, the route to a familiar location, or the name of an acquaintance. Over several months to years, more and more memory is lost, particularly the formation of recent memories.
If you're suffering from early Alzheimer's disease, you may begin to notice difficulty with memory and in organizing your thoughts. Some people notice nothing at all, even when the symptoms are evident to those around them. Maybe you're noticing changes in someone else.
The main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are related to the progressive loss of brain cells. You may notice the following:
Memory changes. Everyone has problems with memory and it isn't uncommon for healthy people to forget the name of an acquaintance or forget where they put something. But in Alzheimer's disease the symptoms worsen over time. The usual activities of daily living are eventually severely affected.
Repetition of questions. People with Alzheimer's disease often say the same things over and over again, not recognizing that they have already said them.
Forgetting conversations or appointments. They may forget a lunch date or a doctor's appointment, or may forget the event after it has happened.
Misplacing possessions. The individual may lose common objects and may place them in unusual locations.
Becoming lost in familiar situations. This may especially happen when the individual is driving. They may forget how to get home after they have gone to the supermarket or a doctor's appointment.
Forgetting family members' names. They may only remember the names of the closest family or of very familiar objects, displaying word-finding difficulties for more complex objects and the names of people they don't see often.
Difficulty identifying objects. They may say a word that is similar to the desired object, which rhymes with the object, or they may only be able to give a description of the object.
Problems concentrating. They may have difficulty understanding abstract concepts, such as numbers. Thinking may become muddled.
Difficulty multitasking. They may have problems managing money, paying bills at the right time, or balancing their checkbook. This can become so severe that even the recognition of numbers becomes difficult.
Difficulty making decisions and poor judgment. Someone with Alzheimer's may not be able to handle complex tasks, and may have poor judgement in tasks like driving. They may burn the food on the stove or in the oven because they forget they're cooking.
Difficulty performing familiar activities. Things that require step-by-step instructions, such as meal planning or a recipe, become difficult to track and follow. Eventually this leads to difficulty in the most basic everyday tasks, like bathing and dressing.
Personality and Behavioral Changes. The brain of the Alzheimer's patient may become so damaged that the personality changes. The mood may change as well. Things like depression, social withdrawal, apathy, distrust, social withdrawal, sleeping habit changes, wandering behaviors, aggression, loss of inhibitions, irritability, and delusions are often a part of middle to late stage Alzheimer's disease.
Fortunately, the most common, (and most important), skills are retained until the latest stage of the disease. People often retain the ability to engage in hobbies and crafts, enjoy music, sing, dance, read, reminisce, and tell stories until the disease is far advanced.
The habits, skills, and information learned while the individual was young, are the last items to be lost. This can help maintain a fairly high quality of life, at least until the disease is moderate to severe.
If you're suffering from early Alzheimer's disease, you may begin to notice difficulty with memory and in organizing your thoughts. Some people notice nothing at all, even when the symptoms are evident to those around them. Maybe you're noticing changes in someone else.
The main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are related to the progressive loss of brain cells. You may notice the following:
Memory changes. Everyone has problems with memory and it isn't uncommon for healthy people to forget the name of an acquaintance or forget where they put something. But in Alzheimer's disease the symptoms worsen over time. The usual activities of daily living are eventually severely affected.
Repetition of questions. People with Alzheimer's disease often say the same things over and over again, not recognizing that they have already said them.
Forgetting conversations or appointments. They may forget a lunch date or a doctor's appointment, or may forget the event after it has happened.
Misplacing possessions. The individual may lose common objects and may place them in unusual locations.
Becoming lost in familiar situations. This may especially happen when the individual is driving. They may forget how to get home after they have gone to the supermarket or a doctor's appointment.
Forgetting family members' names. They may only remember the names of the closest family or of very familiar objects, displaying word-finding difficulties for more complex objects and the names of people they don't see often.
Difficulty identifying objects. They may say a word that is similar to the desired object, which rhymes with the object, or they may only be able to give a description of the object.
Problems concentrating. They may have difficulty understanding abstract concepts, such as numbers. Thinking may become muddled.
Difficulty multitasking. They may have problems managing money, paying bills at the right time, or balancing their checkbook. This can become so severe that even the recognition of numbers becomes difficult.
Difficulty making decisions and poor judgment. Someone with Alzheimer's may not be able to handle complex tasks, and may have poor judgement in tasks like driving. They may burn the food on the stove or in the oven because they forget they're cooking.
Difficulty performing familiar activities. Things that require step-by-step instructions, such as meal planning or a recipe, become difficult to track and follow. Eventually this leads to difficulty in the most basic everyday tasks, like bathing and dressing.
Personality and Behavioral Changes. The brain of the Alzheimer's patient may become so damaged that the personality changes. The mood may change as well. Things like depression, social withdrawal, apathy, distrust, social withdrawal, sleeping habit changes, wandering behaviors, aggression, loss of inhibitions, irritability, and delusions are often a part of middle to late stage Alzheimer's disease.
Fortunately, the most common, (and most important), skills are retained until the latest stage of the disease. People often retain the ability to engage in hobbies and crafts, enjoy music, sing, dance, read, reminisce, and tell stories until the disease is far advanced.
The habits, skills, and information learned while the individual was young, are the last items to be lost. This can help maintain a fairly high quality of life, at least until the disease is moderate to severe.