Alzheimer's is a tragic disease that affects millions of Americans. Knowing the early signs of Alzheimer's can help you get your loved one the help he or she needs to fight the disease.
How can you tell if a loved one has Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's is a sneaky disease that shows symptoms gradually, over time. At first, you won't be able to tell anything is wrong. Stage 1 Alzheimer's can't even be detected by a physician performing a physical exam. At stage 2, the person affected by Alzheimer's might notice a small cognitive decline, however, many people who interact with that person will not. You probably won't suspect there's something wrong with your loved one around stage 3 of the disease. At this stage, you'll notice symptoms like the ones below:
- Inability to think of words during conversations.
- Inability to remember the names of recent acquaintances.
- Frequent misplacing of objects around the house.
- Inability to remember things that he or she just read.
- Inability to organize activities or do things at work.
How can you tell the difference between early symptoms of Alzheimer's and normal old age?
You may not be able to tell the difference between stage 3 Alzheimer's and normal old age. However, Alzheimer's can be hereditary, which means that if your loved one has a history of Alzheimer's in his or her family, you should be watching for symptoms. If your loved one begins to show frequent mental lapses like the ones described above, it should be brought to the attention of a physician.
Can anything be done for a loved one who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's is caused by the breakdown of connections in the brain. At this time, there is no known cure for Alzheimer's. However, there are medications that can help lessen some of the early symptoms of Alzheimer's. These medications affect the chemicals in the brain responsible for delivering messages from one part of the brain to the other. Getting your loved one with Alzheimer's to a physician early on can ensure that your loved one will get the medication that will help him or her keep functioning for a while longer.
Once Alzheimer's progresses to the more advanced stages, these medications will be less effective. That's why it's very important to get your loved one who shows signs of Alzheimer's to a physician right away. The sooner your loved one sees a physician, the better.
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