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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease. Symptoms
include loss of memory, difficulty with day-to-day tasks,
and changes in mood and behaviour. People may think
these symptoms are part of normal aging but they aren't.
It is important to see a doctor when you notice any
of these symptoms as they may be due to other conditions
such as depression, drug interactions or an infection.
If the diagnosis is Alzheimer's disease, your local
Alzheimer Society
can help.
To
help you know what warning signs to look for, the Alzheimer
Society has developed the following list:
-
Memory loss that affects day-to-day function
It's normal to occasionally forget appointments, colleagues'
names or a friend's phone number and remember them later.
A person with Alzheimer's disease may forget things more
often and not remember them later, especially things that
have happened more recently.
-
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that
they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember
to serve them at the end of a meal. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have trouble with tasks that have been familiar
to them all their lives, such as preparing a meal.
- Problems
with language
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes,
but a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget simple
words or substitute words, making her sentences difficult
to understand.
- Disorientation
of time and place
It's normal to forget the day of the week or your destination
-- for a moment. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can
become lost on their own street, not knowing how they
got there or how to get home.
- Poor
or decreased judgment
People may sometimes put off going to a doctor if they
have an infection, but eventually seek medical attention.
A person with Alzheimer's disease may have decreased judgment,
for example not recognizing a medical problem that needs
attention or wearing heavy clothing on a hot day.
- Problems
with abstract thinking
From time to time, people may have difficulty with tasks
that require abstract thinking, such as balancing a cheque
book. Someone with Alzheimer's disease may have significant
difficulties with such tasks, for example not recognizing
what the numbers in the cheque book mean.
- Misplacing
things
Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. A person
with Alzheimer's disease may put things in inappropriate
places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the
sugar bowl.
- Changes
in mood and behaviour
Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time. Someone
with Alzheimer's disease can exhibit varied mood swings
-- from calm to tears to anger -- for no apparent reason.
- Changes
in personality
People's personalities can change somewhat with age. But
a person with Alzheimer's disease can become confused, suspicious
or withdrawn. Changes may also include apathy, fearfulness
or acting out of character.
- Loss
of initiative
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities
or social obligations, but most people regain their initiative.
A person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive,
and require cues and prompting to become involved.
For
information on diagnosis, see Getting
a Diagnosis: Finding Out If It Is Alzheimer Disease.
[This
information is also available in a brochure from your local
Alzheimer Society or you can download
the brochure from this site. Design and printing of this brochure made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer. ]
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