Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and fatal disease that kills brain cells associated with memory and thinking, enough to significantly impair a person's life. This disease is the most common form of dementia and is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer's Association. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but several treatments are available.
Memory Loss
Memory loss is the most common symptom of Alzheimer's disease and is significant enough to disrupt daily life. Specifically, the memory loss is more often related to newly learned information, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Many people with Alzheimer's remember things only from their past, so they feel as if they are still in that period. For example, patients talk to their grown children as if the they were still young. Most people with Alzheimer's rely on memory aids, such as sticky notes and recorders to remember simple things, such as people's names and their relationship to them.
Confusion
People with Alzheimer's disease often experience confusion, according to the Alzheimer's Association. They sometimes do not remember the time or place, and they often lose things and do not have the ability to retrace their steps. They also have difficulty having normal conversations, mainly because they forget what they were talking about in the middle of the discussion.
Daily Tasks
Patients with the disease often have trouble completing everyday tasks, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's patients might get lost when driving to a familiar location. Caregivers must keep track of patients, who might wander around their neighborhood because they forgot where they lived. Additionally, Alzheimer's patients often have difficulty with problem solving and planning. An example of this is handling finances and balancing checkbooks; they may start to miss payments of bills.
Psychological Changes
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease often have changes in their mood or personality, according to the Alzheimer's Association. They often are suspicious of others and become depressed, anxious and easily upset. This is because they often do not recognize the people around them and believe them to be strangers, even if they are family members.
