The Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and the leading cause of disability among the elderly.
Ten warning signs help in the early detection of the disease are:
1. Loss of memory affecting work skills: appointments, names or phone numbers.
2. Difficulties in doing household chores like preparing food.
3. Language Problems: Forgetting and replacing simple words. If it is something casual due to a situation of stress or anxiety there is no need to worry. But if it happens routinely is when we should consult with the doctor.
4. Disorientation with respect to time and space: forget the date or get lost when leaving home.
5. Poor Judgement: This leads to improper dresses or abnormal behaviour patterns. For example not wearing clothes according to the whether.
6. Problems of Abstract Thinking: Not remembering the meaning of money, having problems evaluating similarities or even forgetting sayings.
7. Losing things or putting them in wrong places: Not knowing where the keys are, for example, is normal in a young person, but it would be worrisome in an elderly person who is very orderly and always follows a routine.
8. Changes in Mood and Behavior: Frequent and unexpected changes in mood. The person becomes more fearful and his personality seems to change in short time.
9. Loss of Initiative: Being more passive and requiring constant stimuli is another symptom.
10. Abnormality in Vision: Is suddenly becomes harder to read the words. Difficulty in judging the distance and colors. Such a person should not drive.
Despite these symptoms, the disease can sometimes be confused with other dementias: how to differentiate them? The most significant signal is an episodic memory that does not improve even if the patient is given clues. Although there are atypical forms of focal onset such as language disorder or visual cortex involvement. However, this specialist emphasizes that in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis, the patient should be evaluated in an integral way.
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