Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills.
It is easy to mistake the early signs of Alzheimer’s, which is the most common cause of dementia, for normal aging. However, early detection is key to managing symptoms, slowing disease progression, and planning for the future.
If you know how to tell the early signs of Alzheimer’s from normal changes that come with getting older, you can get medical help and advice at the right time.
Let’s take a look at the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease for a healthy aging brain and the significant steps you can take to maintain cognitive health and enhance the quality of life.
Memory Loss
Difficulty remembering recent events
One of the most common and early signs of Alzheimer’s is the struggle to retain new information.
You might find yourself forgetting recent conversations or events, a condition often referred to as short-term memory loss. [1]
This can include not being able to recall what you just read or forgetting important dates and appointments.
As these episodes become more frequent, they can significantly disrupt your daily life.
Not recognizing familiar faces or places
As Alzheimer’s progresses, you may also experience difficulties recognizing familiar faces or places.
This issue, known as prosopagnosia or facial agnosia, is not just about forgetting; it’s about the brain’s declining ability to process familiar visual information. [2]
You might walk into a room and not recognize a close family member or find yourself lost in a previously familiar setting.
Misplacing items frequently
Losing everyday things like keys, glasses, or the remote control becomes more likely as Alzheimer’s disease gets worse.
You might leave things in strange places, like finding your wallet in the fridge, and then have a hard time going back to where you put them.
As a result, you might feel annoyed or even think that things have been stolen.
Increased dependence on memory aids
As you deal with memory loss, you may need memory aids more and more.
These can include writing things down, setting many alarms, or asking family and friends to help you remember daily tasks and details.
Such aids become necessary to help people with Alzheimer’s deal with the problems they face every day.
READ ALSO: Simple Memory Hacks For Remembering Names, Dates and Important Tasks
Language and Communication Problems
Struggling with vocabulary
Struggling to find the right words or experiencing difficulty with vocabulary can be one of the early signs of Alzheimer’s. [3]
You may notice that finding the right words becomes a challenge. Substituting words or using related but incorrect terms is common.
For instance, calling a “newspaper” a “book” or referring to a “chair” as “the thing you sit on” are indicators that language skills are being affected.
This can vary daily and may worsen when tired or unwell.
Paused conversations
Conversations might get harder because there are more pauses that break up the flow. These pauses can be empty or filled with sounds that show doubt, like “uh” or “um.” [4]
The disruptions often indicate deeper cognitive problems, like having trouble finding words or keeping your train of thought going, which can make it harder to interact with others.
Repeating questions and statements
When you ask the same questions or say the same things over and over, that is a message that something is wrong.
This is often caused by memory loss, which means that people forget about new experiences or information quickly.
It can help to better handle responses when you know that these repetitions may be a need for reassurance rather than facts.
For instance, if someone keeps asking about an upcoming event, it might be better to offer comfort or refocus their attention than to just repeat the date.
Difficulty with Problem Solving and Planning
Challenges with familiar tasks
You may notice increasing difficulties in handling tasks that were once routine. [5, 6]
For example, it can be hard to remember how to drive to a place you have been before, make a grocery list, or remember how to play a favorite game.
It is harder to decide what to do or how to start these problems because Alzheimer’s makes it harder to start and finish tasks.
It is important to make sure that activities are appropriate for current abilities so that tasks are manageable and enjoyable.
Trouble with numbers and planning
As Alzheimer’s gets worse, it can be especially hard to do things that require you to use numbers and make detailed plans.
It gets harder to make and stick to plans, so things like doing taxes or managing the family budget might need to be given to someone else.
Giving people clear, easy-to-understand options and lowering the number of choices they have to make can help reduce stress and boost their sense of control.
Struggling with finances
As Alzheimer’s gets worse, it gets harder to keep track of money.
If you have trouble planning and working with numbers, it might be hard for you to keep track of your monthly bills, follow a recipe you have made before, or switch utility providers.
You can stay financially independent by setting up support systems like having your bills automatically withdrawn from your bank account or using a “chip and signature” card instead of a PIN-based card.
READ ALSO: Tips for Women Over 50 To Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Changes in Mood and Personality
Increased irritability
As Alzheimer’s progresses, you may notice an increase in irritability. [7]
This can manifest as a pervasive feeling of unease, where you might find yourself easily angered or frustrated over minor issues.
This change often happens because of how cognitive decline and emotional stress are connected in Alzheimer’s.
Depression and anxiety
Up to 40 percent of individuals with Alzheimer’s suffer from significant depression. [8, 9]
Symptoms may include feeling sad, hopeless, or discouraged all the time and losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
Anxiety may increase as you become more aware of your cognitive impairments, making you withdraw from normal activities and social interactions.
Becoming withdrawn and avoiding social interactions
Alzheimer’s withdrawal is a common symptom, so you may stop enjoying things or paying attention in conversations.
This could be because they have trouble finishing tasks or because they feel too busy in noisy places.
This behavior could be connected to changes in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that handles social and emotional information and starts to get damaged early in Alzheimer’s.
Maintaining meaningful connections, despite these problems, is very important because it has been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease-related memory loss.
READ ALSO: 10 Fun and Engaging Activities to Keep Your Brain Sharp In Your 50
Issues with Spatial Awareness and Vision
Judging distances
One problem that people with Alzheimer’s may have is that they have trouble judging distances. This problem could make it harder for you to safely move through everyday places. [10]
For example, you could be wrong about how far a step is or how deep a curb is, which would make it more likely that you will trip or fall.
This problem comes from damaged parts of the brain, like the occipital and parietal lobes, making it harder to understand how things fit together in space.
Change in depth perception
Changes in depth perception also happen a lot, which makes it hard to see things in three dimensions.
It can be hard to do things that require spatial judgment, like pouring a drink into a glass, reaching for something, or getting around in a crowded room.
Usually, this is because of problems with stereopsis, the brain function that combines two slightly different images from each eye into a single 3D image to help us understand depth.
Problem with balance
Alzheimer’s can also change your balance and walking style, which are important for staying stable and not falling.
It is important to catch these mobility problems early so that options like physical therapy can be considered. These can help the person stay functionally independent and slow the progression of balance and gait problems.
When walking on new surfaces, this is especially important because your gait speed may change. This shows how important it is to be in a safe and familiar place to walk.
Closing Thoughts
Early signs of Alzheimer’s include memory loss, language issues, mood swings, and trouble finding things. These can help us identify the disease early on.
This knowledge is needed for timely advice, disease management, and quality of life improvements.
With early detection and action, Alzheimer’s can be met with hope, support, and dignity and quality of life.
Our dedication will improve care and treatment, comforting millions of people with this condition and their families.
♡ Love ♡,
Schellea
