What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Alzheimers
Memory problems are often one of the first signs of Alzheimers. Symptoms vary from person to person, and may include problems with:
- Word-finding, or having more trouble coming up with words than other people the same age.
- Vision and spatial issues, like awareness of the space around them.
- Impaired reasoning or judgment, which can impact decisions.
Other symptoms may be changes in the persons behavior, including:
- Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks.
- Repeating questions.
- Trouble handling money and paying bills.
- Wandering and getting lost.
- Losing things or misplacing them in odd places.
- Mood and personality changes.
- Increased anxiety and/or aggression.
How Is Alzheimers Disease Treated
Medical management can improve quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimers disease and for their caregivers. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimers disease. Treatment addresses several areas:
- Helping people maintain brain health.
- Managing behavioral symptoms.
- Slowing or delaying symptoms of the disease.
Support For Family And Friends
Currently, many people living with Alzheimers disease are cared for at home by family members. Caregiving can have positive aspects for the caregiver as well as the person being cared for. It may bring personal fulfillment to the caregiver, such as satisfaction from helping a family member or friend, and lead to the development of new skills and improved family relationships.
Although most people willingly provide care to their loved ones and friends, caring for a person with Alzheimers disease at home can be a difficult task and may become overwhelming at times. Each day brings new challenges as the caregiver copes with changing levels of ability and new patterns of behavior. As the disease gets worse, people living with Alzheimers disease often need more intensive care.
You can find more information about caring for yourself and access a helpful care planning form.
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At Which Stage Of Dementia Can Sundowning Occur
Sundowning may occur with any stage of dementia. However, according to the United Kingdoms Alzheimers Society, it is more common in the middle or later stages of dementia.
It is not clear why sundowning happens, but it may be due to changes in the brain that occur with dementia.
The Alzheimers Association recommends the following tips to help reduce sundowning and possible sleep issues:
- Limiting sleep in the daytime.
- Keeping a routine for waking up, having meals, and going to bed.
- Scheduling trips or appointments for doctor visits in the morning or early afternoon when the person is more alert.
- Aiming to get outside in sunlight every day, if possible, or encouraging the person to sit by the window, as this may help to reset the body clock.
- Limiting stimulation in the evening, such as watching TV, carrying out chores, or listening to loud music.
- Eating a larger meal at lunchtime and a smaller meal in the evening.
- Keeping rooms well-lit in the evening to reduce shadows or lighting changes that may cause agitation or confusion.
- Opting for relaxing activities such as watching a favorite film, listening to calming music, or looking at photographs.
- Taking walks to reduce restlessness.
- Reducing or avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, as these may all have a negative effect on sleep.
Who Can Diagnose Dementia
Visiting a primary care doctor is often the first step for people who are experiencing changes in thinking, movement, or behavior. However, neurologists doctors who specialize in disorders of the brain and nervous system are often consulted to diagnose dementia. Geriatric psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and geriatricians may also be able to diagnose dementia. Your doctor can help you find a specialist.
If a specialist cannot be found in your community, contact the nearest medical school neurology department for a referral. A medical school hospital also may have a dementia clinic that provides expert evaluation. You can also visit the Alzheimers Disease Research Centers directory to see if there is an NIA-funded center near you. These centers can help with obtaining a diagnosis and medical management of conditions.
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What Happens Over Time
Because Alzheimers disease dementia is progressive, memory ability will continue to worsen with time and will be accompanied by more severe changes in other thinking abilities over time.
The earliest symptoms tend to be the most prominent, even as other symptoms also develop. So, if a persons initial symptom was memory loss, that will usually continue to be the most obvious problem, though they may also start having difficulty with attention, problem solving, judgment, or finding words. This occurs because abnormal proteins causing the symptoms, continue to accumulate in memory regions of the brain, and also gradually spread to other parts of the brain that are important for these other functions.
As a result of gradually worsening symptoms, a person will need more assistance in their daily affairs. The symptoms can vary from one person to the next and the pace of decline is also variable with some individuals experiencing slower decline than others.
With time, a person will often have more trouble recognizing people, remembering where they live, and remembering events from their distant past. Communication also usually worsens such that a person may say things irrelevant to the conversation at hand or simply have trouble communicating their thoughts at all. Gradually, more basic daily functions will be affected such that a person may need supervision at all times and eventually help with things like bathing, dressing, toileting and other aspects of basic personal care.
Changes In Mood And Behavior
According to the Alzheimers Association, some mood changes are typical with aging. This can include developing specific routines and becoming irritable when they are disrupted.
However, a person with dementia may experience additional changes to their mood, personality, or behavior. These can include:
- increased negative feelings, such as suspicion, depression, or fear
- becoming more easily upset
- feeling out of their comfort zone more often
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The Effects Of Alzheimers On The Brain
In people with Alzheimers disease, brain cells die and connections between brain cells may break down. One of the hallmark symptoms is abnormal protein deposits in the brain called plaques and tangles.
Plaques are dense clusters of protein that can block communication between neurons. Tangles are proteins that twist together that lead to the death of healthy brain cells.
In advanced Alzheimers, the brain shows significant shrinkage. Changes in the brain may occur a or more before symptoms start.
Its impossible to diagnose Alzheimers with complete accuracy while a person is alive. The diagnosis can only be confirmed when the brain is examined under a microscope during an autopsy. However, specialists can make the correct diagnosis up to 90 percent of the time.
The symptoms of Alzheimers and dementia can overlap, but there can be some differences.
Both conditions can cause:
- behavioral changes
- difficulty speaking, swallowing, or walking in advanced stages of the disease
Some types of dementia will share some of these symptoms, but they include or exclude other symptoms that can help make a differential diagnosis.
Lewy body dementia , for example, has many of the same later symptoms as Alzheimers. However, people with LBD but are more likely to experience initial symptoms such as visual hallucinations, difficulties with balance, and sleep disturbances.
Assessing Your Mental Abilities
A specialist will usually assess your mental abilities using a special series of questions.
One widely used test is the mini mental state examination . This involves being asked to carry out activities such as memorising a short list of objects correctly and identifying the current day of the week, month and year. Different memory clinics may also use other, longer tests.
The MMSE isn’t used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s useful to initially assess areas of difficulty that a person with the condition may have. This helps specialists to make decisions about treatment and whether more tests are necessary.
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Emotion And Behavior Treatments
The emotional and behavioral changes linked with Alzheimers disease can be challenging to manage. People may increasingly experience irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, sleep problems, and other difficulties.
Treating the underlying causes of these changes can be helpful. Some may be side effects of medications, discomfort from other medical conditions, or problems with hearing or vision.
Identifying what triggered these behaviors and avoiding or changing these things can help people deal with the changes. Triggers may include changing environments, new caregivers, or being asked to bathe or change clothes.
It is often possible to change the environment to resolve obstacles and boost the persons comfort, security, and peace of mind.
The Alzheimers Association offer a list of helpful coping tips for caregivers.
In some cases, a doctor may recommend medications for these symptoms, such as:
- antidepressants, for low mood
develops due to the death of brain cells. It is a neurodegenerative condition, which means that the brain cell death happens over time.
In a person with Alzheimers, the brain tissue has fewer and fewer nerve cells and connections, and tiny deposits, known as plaques and tangles, build up on the nerve tissue.
Plaques develop between the dying brain cells. They are made from a protein known as beta-amyloid. The tangles, meanwhile, occur within the nerve cells. They are made from another protein, called tau.
What Are The Warning Signs Of Alzheimers Disease
Watch this video Memory Loss is Not a Normal Part of Aging
Alzheimers disease is not a normal part of aging. Memory problems are typically one of the first warning signs of Alzheimers disease and related dementias.
In addition to memory problems, someone with symptoms of Alzheimers disease may experience one or more of the following:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life, such as getting lost in a familiar place or repeating questions.
- Trouble handling money and paying bills.
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
- Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them.
- Changes in mood, personality, or behavior.
Even if you or someone you know has several or even most of these signs, it doesnt mean its Alzheimers disease. Know the 10 warning signs .
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Alzheimers Disease
The signs and symptoms of Alzheimers disease vary based on the stage of the condition. In general, the symptoms of AD involve a gradual decline in some, most or all of the following:
- Understanding visual form and space relationship.
- Behavior and personality.
People with memory loss or other signs of Alzheimers may have difficulty recognizing their mental decline. These signs may be more obvious to loved ones. Anyone experiencing dementia-like symptoms should see a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Symptoms of the mild stage of Alzheimers dementia
Symptoms of AD become noticeable in the mild stage. The most common early symptom is forgetting newly learned information, especially recent events, places and names.
Other signs and symptoms of mild Alzheimers include:
- Having difficulty finding the right words to express thoughts.
- Losing or misplacing objects more than usual.
- Having difficulty making plans or organizing.
- Having difficulty problem-solving.
- Taking longer to complete routine daily tasks.
Most people in the mild stage of AD have no problem recognizing familiar faces and can usually travel to familiar places.
Symptoms of the moderate stage of Alzheimers
Moderate Alzheimers is typically the longest stage and can last many years. People in the moderate stage of Alzheimers often require care and assistance.
People in this stage may:
Symptoms of the severe stage of Alzheimers
In the severe stage of Alzheimers disease, the person often:
Early Symptoms Of Dementia
Although the early signs vary, common early symptoms of dementia include:
- memory problems, particularly remembering recent events
- increasing confusion
- apathy and withdrawal or depression
- loss of ability to do everyday tasks.
Sometimes, people fail to recognise that these symptoms indicate that something is wrong. They may mistakenly assume that such behaviour is a normal part of the ageing process. Symptoms may also develop gradually and go unnoticed for a long time. Also, some people may refuse to act, even when they know something is wrong.
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Risk Factors And Prevention
Although age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not an inevitable consequence of biological ageing. Further, dementia does not exclusively affect older people young onset dementia accounts for up to 9% of cases. Studies show that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline and dementia by being physically active, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol,controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Additional risk factors include depression, social isolation, low educational attainment, cognitive inactivity and air pollution.
What Is Known About Alzheimers Disease
Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimers disease. There likely is not a single cause but rather several factors that can affect each person differently.
- Age is the best known risk factor for Alzheimers disease.
- Family historyresearchers believe that genetics may play a role in developing Alzheimers disease. However, genes do not equal destiny. A healthy lifestyle may help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimers disease. Two large, long term studies indicate that adequate physical activity, a nutritious diet, limited alcohol consumption, and not smoking may help people. To learn more about the study, you can listen to a short podcast.
- Changes in the brain can begin years before the first symptoms appear.
- Researchers are studying whether education, diet, and environment play a role in developing Alzheimers disease.
- There is growing scientific evidence that healthy behaviors, which have been shown to prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, may also reduce risk for subjective cognitive decline. Heres 8 ways.
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How Is Alzheimers Diagnosed And Treated
Doctors may ask questions about health, conduct cognitive tests, and carry out standard medical tests to determine whether to diagnose a person with Alzheimers disease. If a doctor thinks a person may have Alzheimers, they may refer the person to a specialist, such as a neurologist, for further assessment. Specialists may conduct additional tests, such as brain scans or lab tests of spinal fluid, to help make a diagnosis. These tests measure signs of the disease, such as changes in brain size or levels of certain proteins.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimers, though there are several medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that can help manage some symptoms of the disease along with coping strategies to manage behavioral symptoms. In 2021, FDA provided accelerated approval for a new medication, aducanumab, that targets the protein beta-amyloid, which accumulates abnormally in the brains of people with Alzheimers. The new medication helps to reduce amyloid deposits, but has not yet been shown to affect clinical symptoms or outcomes, such as progression of cognitive decline or dementia.
Most medicines work best for people in the early or middle stages of Alzheimers. Researchers are exploring other drug therapies and nondrug interventions to delay or prevent the disease as well as treat its symptoms.
Visual And Spatial Challenges
Another early sign of dementia is difficulty with certain visual and spatial relationships. For example, this can include difficulty:
- judging distance or size
Signs of difficulty with visual and spatial relationships can also include tripping more often and dropping or spilling things.
Read more about fall prevention.
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Can I Reduce My Risk Of Developing Alzheimers Disease
While there are some risk factors for Alzheimers you cant change, like age and genetics, you may be able to manage other factors to help reduce your risk.
Risk factors for Alzheimers disease include:
Research shows that having a healthy lifestyle helps protect your brain from cognitive decline. The following strategies may help decrease your risk of developing Alzheimers disease:
- Stay mentally active: Play board games, read, do crossword puzzles, play a musical instrument or do other hobbies that require brain power.
- Get physically active: Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to your brain, which may affect brain cell health. Wear protective headgear if youre participating in activities that increase your risk of a head injury.
- Stay socially active: Regularly talk with friends and family and join in on group activities, such as religious services, exercise classes, book clubs or community volunteer work.
- Eat healthily: Follow the Mediterranean or DASH diet or another healthy diet that includes antioxidants. Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation.
Talk to your healthcare provider if youre concerned about your risk of developing Alzheimers disease.
Alzheimers And Dementia Care In Wauwatosa Wi
Assisting Hands Home Care provides Alzheimers and dementia home care services in Wauwatosa, WI to help seniors affected by these conditions live safely in their homes. In addition to ensuring the safety and comfort of our dementia patients, our caregivers are knowledgeable, trained, and experienced to provide effective dementia care.
Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia impact more than 5 million senior individuals in the US. Degenerative illnesses that impair cognitive function and memory are categorized as types of dementia. Alzheimers and dementia symptoms initially appear minor, but as the disease progresses, short-term memory loss turns into long-term memory loss, and cognitive decline renders self-care impossible. Seniors with dementia and Alzheimers disease must receive dependable care in a setting that is familiar and comforting to them.
For seniors in Wauwatosa, WI who are affected by Alzheimers disease or a different kind of dementia, Assisting Hands Home Care offers in-home Alzheimers and dementia care services. To learn more, call us at
Our caregivers have experience providing dementia patients with in-home care and will make sure they receive the specialized attention and support they require to live comfortably at home. We can respond to typical dementia-related behaviors and provide the personal care and assistance they need.
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