Understanding How Alzheimer’s Affects Memory
10 Signs and Symptoms to Look For
Many older adults fear the onset of Alzheimer’s, which causes a slow decline in a person’s memory, thinking, and reasoning skills. While we cannot prevent Alzheimer’s, you can watch for any early warning signs or symptoms in yourself or a loved one.
The Alzheimer’s Association provides a list of 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s. This list helps us understand how the gradual mental decline caused by the disease begins.
Those signs and symptoms are as follows:
- 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 or spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
Source: The Alzheimer’s Association
If you notice any of these signs, you may feel conflicted as to what to do: It can be scary to acknowledge a change in your or a loved one’s health. However, the best thing you can do is to speak to a medical professional. Researchers are working on finding new strategies for earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s—and early detection of mental decline is key.
Let us know if we can point you or a loved one to additional resources about Alzheimer’s.