Worldwide, 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It is an overall term that describes a group of symptoms. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms. If you notice any of them, don’t ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgement
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
Signs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia may be poor judgment and decision-making, inability to manage a budget, losing track of the date or the season, difficulty having a conversation, or misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them. These signs differ from typical age-related changes such as making a bad decision once in a while, missing a monthly payment, forgetting which day it is and remembering it later, sometimes forgetting which word to use, or losing things from time to time.
By: Brenda Langdon
