Alzheimers Symptoms

- what are they?

Diagnoses of Alzheimers Symptoms  are quite difficult as the indications are very similar to many other conditions. None of the cases of Alzheimers are the same, as every individual reacts differently to the condition.

There are three stages of Alzheimer's disease: mild, moderate and severe.

Mild Alzheimers Symptoms would be forgetfulness, weak memory, getting confused, and difficulty in speech and mood swings.

Moderate Alzheimers Symptoms are: delusions, repetitive behaviour, hallucinations, incontinence, imagining things which you haven't done and disturbance in sleep.

Severe Alzheimers Symptoms: the sufferer is highly disoriented and confused, loss in weight and appetite, difficulty in swallowing, loss of long and short term memory, highly prone to infection and difficulty in moving about. This is the stage when the sufferer needs to be completely taken care of as they can barely do anything by themselves. Alzheimers care is difficult for all families.

Most of the symptoms progress slowly over a number of years. Symptoms may not be noticed early on. Sometimes, it is only when family members look back that they realize when the changes started to occur.

Common Alzheimers Symptoms include:

• Impaired thinking and memory.

The Alzheimers Symptoms sufferer has difficulty remembering things or learning new information. In the later stages of the disease, long-term memory loss occurs, which means that the person can't remember personal information, such as his or her place of birth or occupation, or names of close family members.

• Confusion and Disorientation.

People with Alzheimers Symptoms may get lost when out on their own and may not be able to remember where they are or how they got there. They may not recognize previously familiar places and situations. They also may not recognize familiar faces or know what time of the day it is, or even what year it is.

• Problems with communication and language.

The person can't recall words, name objects (even ones that are very familiar to them - like a pen), or understand the meaning of common words.

• Misplacing items.

People with Alzheimers Symptoms will forget where he or she put things used every day, such as glasses, a hearing aid, keys, etc. The person may also put things in strange places, such as leaving their clothes in the refrigerator.

• Abstract thinking.

People with Alzheimers Symptoms may find certain tasks, such as balancing an account book, more difficult than usual. For example, they might forget what the numbers mean and what needs to be done with them.

• Trouble performing familiar tasks.

The person begins to have difficulty performing daily tasks, such as eating, dressing, and grooming. Planning for normal day to day tasks is also impaired.

• Impaired visual skills.

The Alzheimers Symptoms sufferer loses the ability to judge shapes and sizes, and the relationship of objects in space and can't arrange items in a certain order or recognize shapes.

• Changes in personality and behavior.

The person becomes unusually irritable, restless, angry or quiet. At times, people with Alzheimers Symptoms can become confused, paranoid, or fearful.

• Poor judgment.

People with Alzheimers Symptoms may leave the house on a cold day without a coat or shoes, or could go to the store wearing their nightshirt or their underwear on the outside of their day clothes.

• Inability to follow directions.

The person has difficulty understanding simple commands or directions. The person may get lost easily and begin to wander, not remembering where their home is. This is very distressing for the Alzheimers Care giver.

• Loss of motivation or initiative.

The person may become very isolated and require prompting to become involved and interact with others.

• Loss of normal sleep patterns.

Alzheimers Symptoms can include reverse sleep patterns, where they may sleep during the day and be wide awake at night.

 
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