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Alzheimer Disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain.
It eventually affects all aspects of a person's life: how he/she thinks,
feels and acts.
Individuals are affected differently. It is difficult to predict the
symptoms each person will have, the order they will appear or the speed
of the disease's progression.
To help you know what warning signs to look for, the Alzheimer Society
has developed the following list:
10 WARNING SIGNS
- Memory loss that affects day-to-day function
It's normal to occasionally forget appointments,
colleagues' names or a friend's phone number and
remember them later. A person with Alzheimer Disease
may forget more often and not remember them later,
especially things that have happened more recently.
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they
may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve
them at the end of the meal. A person with Alzheimer Disease
may be unable to prepare any part of a meal or forget they ate it.
- Problems with language
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a
person with Alzheimer Disease may forget simple words or
substitute inappropriate words, making his or her sentences
difficult to understand.
- Disorientation of time and place
It's normal to forget the day of the week or your destination - for
a moment. But a person with Alzheimer Disease can become lost on
their own street, not knowing how they got there or how to get home.
- Poor or decreased judgement
People may sometimes put off going to a doctor if they have an
infection but eventually seek medical attention. A person with
Alzheimer Disease may not recognize the infection as a problem
or go to the doctor at all. Or they may dress inappropriately,
wearing heavy clothing on a hot day.
- Problems with abstract thinking
From time to time, people may find balancing a chequebook difficult.
Someone with Alzheimer Disease could forget completely what the
numbers are and what needs to be done with them. Celebrating a
birthday is something many people do, but a person with Alzheimer
Disease may not understand what a birthday is.
- Misplacing things
Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. A person with
Alzheimer Disease may put things in inappropriate places: an iron
in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
- Changes in mood or behaviour
Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time. Someone with
Alzheimer Disease can exhibit rapid mood swings -- from calm to
tears to anger -- for no apparent reason.
- Changes in personality
People's personalities can change somewhat with age. But a person
with Alzheimer Disease can change dramatically, becoming extremely
confused, suspicious or withdrawn. Changes may also include apathy,
fearfulness or acting inappropriately.
- Loss of initiative
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities or social
obligations, but most people regain their initiative. A person
with Alzheimer Disease may become very passive, and require cues
and prompting to become involved.
It is important to see a doctor when you notice any of these symptoms
as they may be due to other conditions such as depression or an infection.
If the diagnosis is Alzheimer Disease, your local Alzheimer Society can help.
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