Alzheimer's Signs & Symptoms

Modern medicine has made a number of advances in curing or at least slowing the progress of a number of diseases previously thought to be without any cure. It is obvious that the sooner we detect a disease or a condition, the more proactive and effective will the management be. It is important therefore, that Alzheimer’s signs and symptoms should be recognised and caught early. Knowing the signs and symptoms to look for will help arrest or slow the onset of the condition and will ensure that the patient gets better cared for.

Disorientation (or not knowing who or where you are or what day month etc it is), is very common in Alzheimer’s disease. It's also noted as one of the defining early symptoms, and as it is very closed connected with a person's memory or the ability to remember, it's not surprising.

Little things disappear first, and it's usually so gradually it's not noticed for weeks or months by family or friends.

For instance, an Alzheimer's sufferer may look around them puzzled as they are not sure where they are, even though it may be familiar surroundings. They will forget your name or birthdays.

It's usually the more distant things that tend to disappear first such as the current year, or year of birth. It might be the part of the date of someone's birthday that is used the least they tend to forget or become puzzled about.

Gradually the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease will become more pronounced, they will forget the correct month or time of year, then they will be unsure of the days of the week or what their own name is. Eventually their memory loss will become so poor they remain in a constant state of disorientation and confusion.

Getting lost outside the home is a problem usually towards the later stages of the illness. There are many stories told of people who travel to a home they lived in 30 years or so previously.

This is because their short term memory is dysfunctional, and been replaced with their long term memories. They no longer remember they moved from that house so many years ago.

Alzheimer’s disease in the later stages can pose extra problems for those people for whom English for instance is a second language.

Because their short term memory is affected, people who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease often lose the ability to speak or understand others speaking in their adopted language. This can of course cause further communication problems with others around them.

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Eventually even their ability to read, write and converse is lost and the Alzheimer’s sufferer retreats into their own little world.

Alzheimer’s disease begins slowly. Initially the sufferer may only notice a little forgetfulness. This can often be confused with aging related loss of memory. Most people at this stage try to compensate for this loss of control over their lives by keeping lists and disguising the forgetfulness in some way. In a way, this is a pity since it only delays the diagnosis. Later, memory loss becomes noticeable and begins to interfere with normal life which is when the patient himself or those around him become alarmed enough to seek a doctor.

Sufferers will also find difficulty in performing routine tasks something that was second nature earlier like dressing or preparing a meal.

It is better to diagnose the disease early so that any decisions can be taken with the consent of the patient while the person still retains some control.