10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's

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10 Warning Signs of Alzheimers

More than six million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning. Symptoms grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Physically in the brain, the disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, a brain with Alzheimer’s shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all functions.

 The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, as the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. The Alzheimer’s Association has assembled a list of 10 warning signs and symptoms that are beyond normal aging related changes. If you notice any of them, don’t ignore them and schedule an appointment with your doctor.

 Warning signs of Alzheimer’s:

1.     Memory loss that disrupts daily life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the early stage is forgetting recently learned information, important dates or asking the same question over and over.

2.     Trouble concentrating. People with dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may notice they now have trouble following familiar recipes or keeping track of monthly bills. They may notice they have trouble concentrating and take longer to do things that were previously easy to do.

3.     Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Sometimes people with Alzheimer’s will have trouble driving to a familiar location or remember the rules of a favorite game.

4.     Losing track of time or place. People living with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding why something isn’t happening immediately or forget where they are or how they got there.

5.      Problems with vision and balance. Vision problems can be a sign of Alzheimer’s when it leads to difficulty with balance or judging distance. Some have trouble determining color or contract.

6.     Trouble following conversation. People with Alzheimer’s may stop in the middle of conversations and have no idea how to continue or may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary or have trouble naming familiar objects or calling things by the wrong name.

7.     Losing the ability to retrace steps. Those with Alzheimer’s may notice they are losing things or leaving things in unusual places and have difficultly retracing their steps to find them again. They may accuse others of stealing as they disease progresses.

8.     Decreased or poor judgment. People with Alzheimer’s may use poor judgement when dealing with money, pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves or their homes clean.

9.     Withdrawal from social activities. Because of their newfound difficulty to follow conversations or remember words, people with Alzheimer’s may withdrawal from hobbies, social activities, or other engagements.

10.  Changes in mood and personality. People with Alzheimer’s may become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily at home, with friends or anytime they are out of their comfort zone.

WellcomeMD is excited to be joining the Alzheimer’s Association in their fight to end Alzheimer’s. We have decided to create a team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s - Richmond. All funds raised through Walk to End Alzheimer's advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. The Walk will be Saturday, November 5th at Libbie Mill Midtown. Here is how you can take action:

If you have any questions, reach out to the Alzheimer’s local staff partner Madison Wilkins at mwilkins@alz.org.