Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that you need to be aware of

Easily forgetting is normal and part of the aging process. But make no mistake, this condition can also be a warning of a problem with your brain, one of which is Alzheimer's disease. So, to be aware of this disease, you must get to know the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease more deeply. What are the characteristics of Alzheimer's disease? Come on, find out the answer below.

Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

According to the Mayo Clinic website, Alzheimer's disease is one type of dementia that commonly affects the elderly. In this disease, there is death of brain cells due to the buildup of a protein plaque in the brain. In addition, the brain also lacks important chemicals that function in sending messages or signals in the brain.

One way to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease, you need to be aware of the characteristics it causes, including:

1. Impaired memory / memory

Like forgetting or dementia is a typical symptom that is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, usually appearing at a young age. This is because this disease attacks the hippocampus which is closely related to memory. But this sign of Alzheimer's disease is different from the forgetfulness that people with healthy brains usually experience.

People with Alzheimer's disease will experience these symptoms with an unusual frequency. For example, it's easy to forget information you've just received, often forget important dates, names of people, or important events. Sometimes this is accompanied by the habit of asking for the same information over and over again..

2. Difficulty planning something and solving problems

Besides forgetting, people with Alzheimer's will also experience characteristics of difficulty in planning and following a plan. For example, today your schedule is to prepare breakfast, go to the office, meeting with the client, then back to the office.

Now, people with Alzheimer's will be confused about their daily schedule so that in the morning instead of going to the office, they go to the market. They also have difficulty concentrating on tasks that are detailed and involve a lot of numbers.

3. Difficulty doing activities that are usually done

Even familiar activities can be difficult for Alzheimer's sufferers to do. This is a symptom of Alzheimer's disease that should not be ignored.

For example, difficulties in completing work that is usually done every day, such as difficulty in driving a car even though it passes the same route every day.

In fact, in conditions that are quite severe, Alzheimer's disease patients also find it difficult to carry out a sequence of activities, for example when cooking food.

4. Confused about time and place

Other symptoms that people with Alzheimer's disease may experience are easily confused or disoriented over time and place.

They can forget where he is now, how to get to that place earlier, and why they went there. They may also wake up at 3 a.m. and immediately get ready to take a shower, thinking it is 6 o'clock in the morning.

5. Impaired vision

Visual (vision) disturbances can be a symptom of Alzheimer's. Examples such as difficulty in reading, distinguishing colors, or estimating distances. These characteristics can appear when the damaged cells have begun to spread to other brain areas.

6. Difficulty finding the right words

People with Alzheimer's find it difficult to initiate and follow conversations with other people. Conversation so no continue and they may suddenly stop in the middle of the story or forget to end a sentence. Sometimes, they also spoke haltingly.

In addition, an easily visible feature of Alzheimer's is that they often have trouble finding the right words. They may ask for an item to be taken, but he or she cannot say the name or characteristics of the item.

7. Often misplaced something

A typical symptom that often appears in Alzheimer's patients is often misplaced objects in their proper place. For example, put your house key in the bathroom.

Therefore, they often accuse others of stealing or hiding these items. In fact, they are the ones who usually put things out of place.

If you have experienced something like this, both family and caregivers must ensure the safety of the home and environment. The reason is, it is feared that patients will put oil, alcohol, or other flammable objects near the stove.

8. Difficult to make decisions

When making decisions, people with Alzheimer's often act confused. For example, when asked, "Sir, do you want to use sugar or not?", They get confused by themselves and cannot decide.

In addition, they also have difficulty taking care of themselves and maintaining personal hygiene. For example, they rarely shower and change clothes. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease require the patient to be accompanied by family or influence.

9. Withdrawing from the environment

As symptoms persist, you may begin to notice that people with Alzheimer's are withdrawing from their environment and less socializing in the events they normally attend. Withdrawal from the environment can become more severe as the disease gets worse.

10. Changes in personality and mood

People with Alzheimer's can experience changes mood extremes such as being dazed, depressed, anxious, and full of fear.

It is an Alzheimer's symptom that is often ruled out, as it changes mood it has nothing to do with one's physical condition. Therefore, you must be more sensitive to see the other Alzheimer's symptoms that accompany the changes mood.

When to see a doctor

If you experience the symptoms mentioned above, especially if you are over 65 years of age, seek medical attention immediately. It could be that the symptoms you feel are signs of Alzheimer's disease, which is starting to damage brain cells.

Everyone is very likely to feel the characteristics of Alzheimer's disease are different. This can happen if the patient also has other types of dementia, such as Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, or frontotemporal dementia at the same time. It could also be with other brain disorders, such as Parkinson's disease or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

In cases like this, people with this dementia combination may experience other symptoms, such as hallucinations, repetitive body movements, poor coordination and balance, tremors, or difficulty sleeping.

The importance of understanding the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Understanding the signs of Alzheimer's disease is important to detect the disease early and prevent the severity of the condition.

In addition, from these symptoms, the doctor will also be helpful in determining the type of dementia that the patient is experiencing. The reason is, the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with other types of dementia is different.