Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that severely affects certain mental functions of the person and prevents them from performing basic actions in their daily lives. It is the most common type of dementia among the elderly. There is a list of symptoms developed by the Alzheimer’s Association to detect Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Each person may feel one or more of these signs at different levels.
Mental forgetfulness that makes the person’s day-to-day life difficult.
People with this disease forget information they have just received and are unable to remember important dates or events. They ask over and over again for the same thing, in addition, there is a great dependence on memory aids, such as notes or family help to perform functions that they used to be able to do by themselves.
Difficulties in problem solving
Some people have difficulty making a plan or working with numerical figures. They may also experience memory problems when remembering a recipe or handling money in their bank accounts. They may also have more trouble concentrating and may take longer to complete tasks that used to be easy for them.
Difficulty performing day-to-day tasks at home, at work or in their leisure time.
Another problem in Alzheimer’s disease is difficulty in performing everyday tasks. Sometimes they may forget how to get to a place, get around at work or forget the rules of a familiar game.
Disorientation of time or place
People with Alzheimer’s forget dates, seasons and the passage of time. They can have real trouble understanding something if it is not in process at that very moment. They sometimes forget where they are and how they got there.
Difficulty understanding visual images because of vision problems.
Some people have vision problems, which is another sign of Alzheimer’s disease. These people have difficulty reading, calculating distances and determining color or contrast, which can lead to problems when driving.
Problems speaking or writing
People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or taking part in a dialogue. Sometimes they also have a lot of difficulty advancing in a conversation, as they often repeat the same sentence without being aware of it. They also have difficulty expressing a particular word or call things by an incorrect name.
Moving objects around and difficulty remembering where they have been placed.
This symptom suffered by many people with Alzheimer’s disease consists of placing things in other places and not remembering where they have put them. Sometimes they may even accuse other people of stealing.
Lack of good judgment
People with a disease may suffer changes in judgment and decision making. For example, they may purchase telephone products and services without being aware, or neglect their own personal grooming.
Losing initiative in social activities, sports or work projects is another symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes they have difficulties in following the day-to-day life of their favorite soccer team, or in doing their favorite hobby. Other times they avoid taking part in social activities due to the changes they have suffered.
Mood or personality changes
The mood and personality of Alzheimer’s patients are very susceptible to change. They may be confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may also get angry easily with people around them, at work, with friends or places outside their environment.