First symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

Knowing the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can help you anticipate some changes and therefore be better prepared to respond to the loved one.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease are :

  1. Memory loss when it disrupts daily life. One of the most common Alzheimer’s sign, especially in the early stages, is forgetting recently learned information, forgetting important dates or events, asking for the same information over and over…
  2. It becomes difficult to plan or solve problems. Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a recipe, for example, or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things they were doing before.
  3. Difficulty completing daily tasks at home. People with Alzheimer’s often find it difficult to perform everyday tasks.
  4. Confusion with time or place. People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates and seasons. They may have trouble understanding something if it does not happen immediately. They can sometimes forget where they are and how they got there.
  5. Difficulty understanding visual images and spatial relationships. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not recognize their own reflection.
  6. New problems of expression. People with Alzheimer’s experiences difficulties to join a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or can call things by the wrong name.
  7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. A person with Alzheimer’s may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to retrace their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.
  8. To show poor judgment. People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision-making.
  9. Withdrawal from social activities. A person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove recreational and other social activities.
  10. Changes in mood and personality. The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They can be easily disrupted in places where they are out of their comfort zone.

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