Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease usually affects people who are sixty years old plus, but it is known to affect people as young as thirty. This disease damages the brain's intellectual functions, memory, orientation, and calculation, although at first, it largely spares the parts of the brain that control sensation and movement. An alzheimer patient's memory often is affected early, and gradually deteriorates causing impaired judgment and other problems that may affect their ability to perform normal daily task.

In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, new or recent memories are difficult to recall. People suffering from Alzheimer's disease will find it hard to learn and retain new information. Eventually, older or more distant memories are lost in time. Other symptoms may include difficulty interpreting familiar faces or other known objects, expressing thoughts as spoken words, and difficulty carrying out simple instructions.

Alzheimer patients recently diagnosed may not be able to manage money, remember to take medication, lock doors, or plan meals. People with Alzheimer's may get lost while walking or driving, even in familiar areas. Two thirds of people with Alzheimer's develop psychological problems such as personality changes, depression, anxiety, or irritability. When these types of symptoms occur before a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, relationships with family and friends can become strained.

As this disease progresses to its middle and late stages, you may experience irrational beliefs, especially thinking your belongings were stolen, being persecuted, and hallucinations. People in their late stages of Alzheimer's may become aggressive or may begin to wander away from home if left alone.

Some symptoms of Alzheimer's are memory lapses, problems learning and retaining new information, difficulty using language, difficulty following directions or handling complex tasks, and risky behaviors or episodes of poor judgment. Although you may be experiencing some of these symptoms, it does not necessarily diagnose you with Alzheimer's disease. Your doctor will want to rule out all other possibilities for these symptoms. Your doctor may order a brain imaging study to be more certain that there is not some other reason for the symptoms. If the neurological examination shows signs of a sensory or movement problem, you will then be referred to a specialist such as a neurologist, geriatrician, or a geriatric psychiatrist to confirm the diagnosis.

Everyone has the potential to develop Alzheimer's disease. Your odds of getting this disease is 10 per cent to 15 per cent. However, several factors may increase your risk. If members of your family, especially your parents or siblings, have Alzheimer's or have died from the disease, your risk of developing the disease increases. Some inherited factors may increase your lifetime risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.