Many people are either living or know someone who currently has Alzheimers disease. Statistics show that over 5 million people throughout the United States are living with some form of Alzheimers. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult for someone living with this condition to know what’s happening. It’s understandable to wonder about the symptoms of Alzheimers. With that in mind, here are five early signs that someone is living with Alzheimers disease.
- Lack of Memory
Statistics show that Alzheimers disease makes up for 80% of those diagnosed with dementia. Considering that, you’ll find that one of the most common signs of Alzheimers disease is memory loss. In the early stages, this memory loss might only happen occasionally. For instance, someone living with this disease might have trouble remembering an upcoming event or date. - Consistently Losing Items
Another sign that someone could be suffering from this disease is if they continually lose items. You’ve likely experienced the feeling of losing your phone or a remote control. However, someone living with Alzheimers will continually lose items regardless of how often they are used. With that in mind, someone living with more advanced stages of this disease could falsely believe someone stole an item. - Sudden Mood Swings
As previously mentioned, Alzheimers disease can cause someone to forget information they’ve previously known. Considering that, you’ll find that someone living with this disease can often experience mood swings. For instance, someone who has this disease might momentarily forget a person they’ve known their entire life. This can understandably cause the person living with Alzheimers to act like they’re meeting a stranger. However, you must remember to be patient during these tough times. - Having Trouble Finishing Seemingly Easy Tasks
It’s commonly thought that only senior citizens suffer from Alzheimers disease. However, it’s important to know that an estimated 200,000 people in the United States under 65 suffer from early onset Alzheimers. Considering that, people of all ages can suffer from the side effect of forgetting how to finish tasks. In many cases, these tasks are ones that the person could normally complete quite easily. - Not Attending Events or Gatherings
Many who are living with the early stages of Alzheimers disease might begin withdrawing themselves from normal activities. In some cases, this is because Alzheimers is causing them to forget about these upcoming events. Forgetting a date or event occasionally is understandable. If someone you know is consistently forgetting prior commitments, it could be a sign of Alzheimers.
To summarize, there are many signs that someone could be suffering from Alzheimers disease. It’s important to detect these signs as early as possible. Another aspect of caring for someone with Alzheimers is ensuring they have access to a care facility. Many people living with Alzheimers live in a dementia treatment facility, especially when considering that dementia is often a side effect of this disease. It’s understandably dangerous for someone with Alzheimers to live on their own. In addition, it’s often tough for someone to have enough time to adequately care for a person with this disease. Therefore, care facilities are often the best solution for someone living with Alzheimers.