Alzheimer’s disease can be diagnosed at any age, but symptoms usually begin to show when someone reaches their mid-60s. Although there is no known cure for the disease, there are medications that can help to reduce its symptoms or slow down its progression. Do you know that you can be proactive and take steps to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s? At the same time, if you are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in its early stage, you should receive prompt treatment to delay its progression. Learn to detect the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease so you and your loved ones can benefit from a timely diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment. Some early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Being unable to think clearly
- Feeling lost or confused
- Misplacing things and remembering certain details about your past more easily than others
Memory Loss That Disrupts Daily Life
Memory loss that causes disruptions to one’s daily life can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, repeatedly losing things like keys or remote controls, forgetting why you walked into a room or what you were saying during a conversation. Your memory plays an important part in everyday life and helps you to function, so friends and family should be able to quickly notice the changes in you. However, if these signs don’t go away, they can be one early sign to watch for in Alzheimer’s patients.
Difficulty in Planning or Solving Problems
People with Alzheimer’s disease may find it difficult to think logically, absorb new information, or solve problems. As a result, they may need help making decisions or solving tasks at work and home. They may also have trouble making plans or following through on tasks. For example, they can forget to take their medication on time. Someone who used to be organized and reliable may now struggle to pay bills on time or return calls from friends and family members. If you notice that your loved one is struggling with memory loss, poor judgment, disorganization, or other signs of cognitive decline, it’s essential to talk about your concerns with your loved one’s doctor.
Problems with Carrying Out Familiar Tasks
People with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease may soon reach a point where they had forgotten how to do the things that they used to be able to do easily. These moments may feel like instances of absentmindedness at first, but they may soon find it more challenging to recall basic information and complete daily tasks as time goes on. For example, your loved one may get lost in his neighborhood or struggle to remember appointments. While some forgetfulness is entirely normal as we age (especially if we are experiencing stress), not remembering important dates and events can be an early sign that something is wrong.
Confusion with Time or Place
Your loved one may have difficulty remembering what year it is, where he is, or what time of the day it is. For example, he may say it’s 1996 even though we’re in 2022. This can be a sign that someone has a major memory problem or has dementia.
Problems Understanding Visuals and Spatial Relationships
From driving to reading, making sense of what you see around you is critical to everyday life. If you or your loved one has difficulty deciphering visual images and spatial relationships, you may be displaying one of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals who have trouble processing how objects relate to each other in space, such as judging relative size or depth, will encounter problems with their day-to-day activities. For instance, your loved one may have problems interpreting a street map or following a textured pattern in an item of clothing. This difficulty in perceiving these images and spatial relationships is often noticed by family and friends before the affected individual realizes the problem himself.
