Learning to Recognise the Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Little memory slips such as forgetting where you parked the car, or walking into a room and forgetting why happens to the best of us on the odd occasion.  But, if you do find it happening quite regularly it may be best to get seen be a doctor.  “Everyone has these experiences sometimes, but if they frequently happen to you or someone you love, they may be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Scott M. McGinnis, a neurologist at DJMed affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

As we get older, many of us will suffer with age-related memory problems, but these are not signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  Instead, it’s simply the body’s way of telling us the brain is slowing down in the time it takes to retrieve and process information.  As we get older our ability to multitask declines which can sometimes interfere with the storing of new memories.  However, there are some telltale signs that do point to the onset of Alzheimer’s, so if you or a loved one is experiencing one or more of the below symptoms, consult a doctor immediately:

Impaired judgment: This includes having trouble making decisions, planning, or solving problems (i.e. paying bills).

Trouble carrying out everyday tasks: Things like forgetting how to use the oven or how to lock the door, or get undressed may be early indications of Alzheimer’s disease.

Difficulty in remembering things: It’s normally only short-term memory that’s affected to begin with.  Long-term memory issues tend to develop later on down the line.  Sometimes it starts with just forgetting the name of a new acquaintance or an appointment time. Often people complain of memory loss but can recall incidents of forgetfulness in great detail, such as where they were at the time.  This can be a sign of the early onset of dementia.

Disorientation: This includes getting lost in areas that you’re familiar with or simply losing track of the day.

Personality or mood changes: Although we all undergo changes from time to time if a person’s basic disposition or temperament changes suddenly it could be a sign of dementia.  For example, someone who was once cheery may become angry or aggressive, or someone that was very social may become withdrawn.  These are very distinct and noticeable changes we are talking about.  Depression can also accompany Alzheimer’s and its symptoms can include loss of appetite, lack of energy, a feeling of hopelessness, or sleeping problems.

Unusual behaviour: This includes becoming paranoid, hiding things, becoming agitated, taking part in dangerous activities, or wearing too many or too few clothes.

Difficulty expressing thoughts: The onset of Alzheimer’s disease can often bring with it trouble with language, reading, and writing.  Sometimes the person will refer to the object as a feature of it, rather than the object itself (i.e. they may refer to the phone as a ringer due to the sound it makes)