Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is a collective name for conditions in which progressive degeneration of the brain affects memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion. Symptoms may include:
- loss of memory
- difficulty in finding the right words or understanding what people are saying
- difficulty in performing previously routine tasks
- personality and mood changes
Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. It knows no social, economic, ethnic or geographical boundaries. Although individuals experience dementia in their own way, eventually those affected are unable to care for themselves and need help with all aspects of daily life. There is currently no cure.
10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Changes in mood and personality
Difference between Alzheimer’s and typical age-related changes
| SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA | TYPICAL AGE-RELATED CHANGES |
| Poor judgment and decision-making | Making a bad decision once in a while |
| Inability to manage a budget | Missing a monthly payment |
| Losing track of the date or the season | Forgetting which day it is and remembering it later |
| Difficulty having a conversation | Sometimes forgetting which word to use |
| Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them | Losing things from time to time |
Sources: https://alzheimers.org.za/alzheimers & https://www.alz.org
