We’ve all forgotten an important birthday, and it’ll happen more often as we age. While occasionally forgetting a conversation or appointment is normal, when it starts disrupting your daily life, it might be something more serious.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that affects the brain and causes a memory decline, as well as thinking, reasoning, and organisational skills, making it the most common cause of dementia in those over the age of 65.
Recognising the early signs
Early detection can greatly improve your quality of life, so what are the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease to look out for?
- One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss. This may include forgetting important dates, appointments or events and new information, like the names of new acquaintances or recent conversations.
- Alzheimer’s disease affects the ability to reason and think, so following a plan or solving a problem can become a challenge. Working with abstract concepts, like numbers and symbols, becomes difficult, so the person might struggle to manage their finances and pay bills on time.
- Completing familiar tasks and routine activities becomes harder and may take longer than before. Any activity that requires steps to be completed in a specific order becomes challenging, and the person may struggle to follow recipes or prepare familiar dishes.
- Due to confusion, the person may get lost in a place they know very well, like a familiar shopping centre or their neighbourhood. They may also lose track of dates and be unsure of what day or month it is.
- Changes in the brain can lead to difficulty in understanding visual images and spatial relationships. In some cases, a person’s vision may be affected, or a person may have trouble judging distance or determining colour.
- A person with Alzheimer’s disease may repeat themselves often and have trouble finding the right word when writing and speaking, making it hard to join and follow conversations.
- Memory problems and confusion also lead to items being misplaced or placed in unusual places that don’t make sense, like a book ending up in the freezer. This may lead to conflict as the person might accuse others of stealing their belongings.
- Alzheimer’s Disease also leads to poor judgment and difficulty making decisions. This may lead to behaving offensively in social settings or making bad decisions when dealing with finances. Every day problems, like food burning on the stove, can become overwhelming.
- People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease may withdraw socially. The difficulty with keeping up with conversations, and the frustration and embarrassment that go along with the confusion and forgetfulness, may lead them to avoid activities they once enjoyed.
- Mood swings and personality changes often go along with Alzheimer’s disease as people become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, aggressive or anxious.
Next steps
If you suspect that you or someone you care about is displaying the symptoms of dementia, it’s important to visit a medical provider as soon as possible.
Alzheimer’s isn’t the only condition that could be causing symptoms of dementia – infections, stress, depression, or drug interactions can exhibit similar symptoms, and some of these conditions are treatable.
The disease doesn’t affect everyone the same way, and in the early stages, it’s possible to lead a full life with some assistance; however, as the disease progresses, more specialised and inpatient care may be necessary.
Conclusion
While there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, early detection and treatment can make a difference, so getting a diagnosis and starting treatment sooner rather than later will benefit you greatly in the long run.
