Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible brain disorder that becomes progressively worse over time. Initially it affects a person's ability to make sound judgments and remember certain people or places and interferes with language skills. Recognizing the early signs of this disease allows for early treatment. While treatment cannot stop the progression, it may help relieve the symptoms and slow the worsening of this disease.
Memory Loss
Memory loss is one of the most common signs of Alzheimer's disease and can be so subtle that it is not recognized as a symptom. It can begin by forgetting a doctor's appointment or failing to remember where car keys were placed. A person may also be driving and suddenly forget where he is going.
Completing Daily Tasks
In the early stages of Alzheimer's, performing the simplest of daily tasks may prove difficult. This can include responsibilities at work or at home. An affected person may prepare a meal for her family and forget she made it, or forget to serve it.
Confusion With Time and Place
Not only will someone with Alzheimer's become completely disoriented to time, losing track of the seasons and the date, but he will also be disoriented in familiar places. If he takes a walk down his street, he may suddenly forget where he is and wonder how he got there.
Problem Solving
Concentration becomes much more difficult, even at the onset of this disease. It is common for one with Alzheimer's to lose her ability to balance her checkbook or follow directions, such as a recipe for a dish she has made multiple times, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Language Skills
Once Alzheimer's begins, a person's language becomes more difficult to understand and comprehend. He may have a hard time finding the right word to use, no matter how simple the word may be. And in some cases, he will use another word that is inappropriate to the context of his sentence, making it difficult for people to understand what he is trying to say.
Visual and Spatial Perception
Visual and spatial perception are affected as well. While driving, an Alzheimer's patient may believe other cars are further away than they actually are, presenting a dangerous situation for herself and other drivers. When at home, she may see her reflection in a mirror and believe it is another person in the room with her.
Poor Judgment
A person's inability to make sound decisions is yet another indication that he may be afflicted with this disease. For instance, if it is below freezing outside, he may feel he doesn't need to wear a coat. If it is raining, he may not see the need to take an umbrella.
Misplacing Items
Misplacing items is a classic warning sign of Alzheimer's disease and is one that can wreak havoc in a home. When an Alzheimer's patient misplaces an item, especially one of value, many times she will accuse others of stealing it, because she cannot remember that she herself hid it. In addition, she is unable to retrace her steps to help her find it.
Mood or Personality Changes
Changes in mood or personality are perhaps the most strenuous on the loved ones of an Alzheimer's patient. If the patient was once a laid-back and happy person, he may become angry or fearful in a short period of time, according to the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis. He may also begin suffering from rapid mood swings, being calm and docile one minute, hostile and verbally abusive the next.
Withdrawing From Social Activities
Those with Alzheimer's tend to withdraw from activities they once loved and enjoyed. For instance, if a patient made it a point to play bingo twice a week with her friends, she may suddenly have no interest in this anymore. This is because of the mental effects of the disease.
