5 precursors to Alzheimer's disease

Rachel -

Alzheimer's disease is a disease of the brain that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer's disease is an abnormal phenomenon of aging and is not a mental illness.

The early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are mainly memory loss. However, memory loss in the elderly may also be caused by conditions such as depression and mood disorders in the elderly, and it should be noted that memory loss caused by depression in the elderly is not easily distinguishable from memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease, so when a patient develops memory impairment, family members should promptly take the patient to a professional institution for medical examination and a clinician will make a judgment before treating the symptoms.

Disease deteriorates over time

Alzheimer's disease worsens over time and can eventually lead to death. Although symptoms can vary greatly, the first problem many people notice is severe forgetfulness, which makes them feel overwhelmed in their home or work life and in participating in activities they have always enjoyed.

Other symptoms include mental confusion, getting lost in familiar places, misplacing things, and problems with speaking and writing.

More common than you might think

More than 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease. As the percentage of the U.S. population over the age of 65 continues to increase, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's and other dementias will grow each year.

It's not just people with Alzheimer's who are affected. Their caregivers will also be affected. Caring for someone with Alzheimer's is often very difficult, and many family members or friends who care for them end up experiencing high levels of stress and depression.

1. Personality changes

One of the precursors of Alzheimer's disease is the constant suspicion that children have taken their belongings, becoming very grumpy and often forgetting to go home. ...... If you have an elderly person like this in your family, you should not think that it is their personality that has become "bad", but perhaps they may be on the verge of developing Alzheimer's disease.

This is because the early stages of dementia are characterized by personality changes such as selfishness, subjectivity, impatience, stubbornness, loudness and anger. Symptoms at this stage are easily overlooked and can be easily confused with cerebrovascular sclerosis psychosis, which requires attention.

2. Gradual memory loss

A typical symptom of Alzheimer's disease is "forgetting the near but not the far", such as what you ate in the morning, whether you washed your face in the morning, etc. You may not remember in the afternoon, but you can still remember the names of your comrades from 30 years ago.

3. Decreased comprehension and judgment

Early signs of Alzheimer's disease also include a decline in understanding and judgment. This is evident in the inability to choose the correct clothing for the different seasons, for example, wearing a cotton jacket in the summer and short sleeves in the winter. In addition, it is often difficult to keep up with other people's conversations and to understand simple things.

4. Easy to get lost

The White Paper on Lost Conditions of the Elderly in China reports that an average of 1,370 elderly people get lost every day nationwide, mainly due to getting lost Alzheimer's, etc. Therefore, if you find that an elderly person has signs of forgetfulness, such as "getting lost in familiar surroundings or often forgetting where things are at home". It is best to bring them to an outpatient clinic for treatment, as getting lost is often one of the first symptoms of dementia.

5. "Collecting" and treating rags as treasures

"Collecting behavior" is also a typical symptom of dementia. Patients pick up rags as if they were treasures, and pick up everything they see outside and take it home.