Alzheimer's Warning Signs: Memory Loss

Wondering if someone you know might be developing Alzheimer's Disease, a condition that causes gradual loss of brain cells? This disease is more common than you might think. According to the Alzheimer's Association, as many as 10 percent of all people 65 years of age and older have Alzheimer's, and as many as 50 percent of all people 85 and older have the disease.

The Alzheimer's Association has compiled a list of 10 warning signs to help loved ones and health care professionals recognize the condition. These include:

Memory loss. One of the most common early signs of dementia is forgetting recently learned information. While it's normal to forget appointments, names, or telephone numbers, those with dementia will forget such things more often and not remember them later.

(Note: If you recognize any warning signs in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services.)

Wondering if someone you know might be developing Alzheimer's Disease? The Alzheimer's Association has compiled a list of 10 warning signs to help loved ones and health care professionals recognize the condition. These include:

Difficulty performing familiar tasks. People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with Alzheimer's may not know the steps for preparing a meal, using a household appliance, or participating in a lifelong hobby.

Misplacing things. Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key. A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

(Note: If you recognize any warning signs in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services.)

Problems with language. Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer's disease often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making his or her speech or writing hard to understand. If a person with Alzheimer's is unable to find his or her toothbrush, for example, the individual may ask for "that thing for my mouth."

(Note: If you recognize any warning signs in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services.)

Disorientation to time and place. It's normal to forget the day of the week or where you're going. But people with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.

Loss of initiative. It's normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations at times. The person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or not wanting to do usual activities.

Poor or decreased judgment. No one has perfect judgment all of the time. Those with Alzheimer's may dress without regard to the weather, wearing several shirts or blouses on a warm day or very little clothing in cold weather. Individuals with dementia often show poor judgment about money, giving away large amounts of money to telemarketers or paying for home repairs or products they don't need.

(Note: If you recognize any warning signs in yourself or a loved one, the Alzheimer's Association recommends consulting a physician. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other disorders causing dementia is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services.)

Changes in personality. People's personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can change a lot, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful, or dependent on a family member.

Problems with abstract thinking. Balancing a checkbook may be hard when the task is more complicated than usual. Someone with Alzheimer's disease could forget completely what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them.

Dispelling Alzheimer's Myths: Memory Loss

Previously, we discussed some clear warning signs of Alzheimer's Disease. But while there are some things we do know about this condition, myths abound. In an effort to separate facts from fiction, the Alzheimer's Association addresses these myths:

Myth: Memory loss is a natural part of aging.

Reality: In the past people believed memory loss was a normal part of aging, often regarding even Alzheimer's as natural age-related decline. Experts now recognize severe memory loss as a symptom of serious illness.

Whether memory naturally declines to some extent remains an open question. Many people feel that their memory becomes less sharp as they grow older, but determining whether there is any scientific basis for this belief is a research challenge still being addressed.

Myth: Alzheimer's disease is not fatal.

Reality: Alzheimer's is a fatal disease. It begins with the destruction of cells in regions of the brain that are important for memory. However, the eventual loss of cells in other regions of the brain leads to the failure of other essential systems in the body. Also, because many people with Alzheimer's have other illnesses common in older age, the actual cause of death may be no single factor

Myth: Head injury can lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Reality: Several studies have found that Alzheimer's disease is more common among individuals who have sustained a severe head injury (accompanied by loss of consciousness) during the course of their lives. Additional research is needed, however, to understand what happens to the brain in such injuries and how those changes in the brain are related to Alzheimer's disease.

Myth: Alzheimer's disease is hereditary.

Reality: Rare cases of the disease -- called early-onset Alzheimer's -- affects people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. This form of the disease has been linked to three different genes and has been observed in only 120 families worldwide. Individuals who carry one of the early-onset genes will most likely develop Alzheimer's.

The more common late-onset Alzheimer's disease usually affects people over the age 65. The greatest risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer's is increasing age. A person also has a greater risk if he or she has an immediate parent or sibling with the disease.

Researchers have found one gene that is associated with an increased risk of late-onset Alzheimer's.

Myth: Drinking out of aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots and pans can lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Reality: Based on current research, getting rid of aluminum cans, pots, and pans will not protect you from Alzheimer's disease. The exact role (if any) of aluminum in Alzheimer's disease is still being researched and debated. However, most researchers believe that not enough evidence exists to consider aluminum a risk factor for Alzheimer's or a cause of dementia.

Myth: Aspartame causes memory loss.

Reality: Aspartame's role in memory loss is a health concern that has been associated with artificial sweeteners. Several studies have been conducted on aspartame's effect on cognitive function in both animals and humans. These studies found no scientific evidence of a link between aspartame and memory loss.

Aspartame was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996 for use in all foods and beverages. The sweetener, marketed as Nutrasweet(r) and Equal(r), is made by joining two protein components, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, with 10 percent methanol. Methanol is widely found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods.

Myth: There are therapies available to stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Reality: At this time, there is no medical treatment to cure or stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Four FDA-approved drugs -- tacrine (Cognex(r)), donepezil (Aricept(r)), rivastigmine (Exelon(r)), and galantamine (Reminyl(r)) -- may temporarily improve or stabilize memory and thinking skills in some individuals.

- Valerie Ryan

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2002

Answers

There's another important clue to add to the pot - your own increasing frustration in dealing with the person developing Alzheimer's. I think that could be one of the very first signs, before you are ready to accept or believed that the other person is failing.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2002

Loss of initiative. It's normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations at times. The person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or not wanting to do usual activities.

A lot of stoners are going to be mis-diagnosed on this one as they get older.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2002