You find it weird; you can’t remember if you have already taken your medicine a few minutes ago.
You try to figure it out by counting the number of tablets left yesterday…but you just realized you also forgot this as well.
Difficulty remembering a recent memory is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Often, Alzheimer’s disease symptoms come gradually and this can be the start – and it can get worse. Yes, this medical condition has three stages (mild, moderate and severe) and each phase offers unique warning signs.
Mild Alzheimer’s, which can last from 2 to 4 years, includes the following symptoms:
- Difficulty to put thoughts into words or to understand what the others are saying
- Mood swings
- Lack of motivation and having low energy to even do simple activities
- Mild coordination problems
- Reduced interest in working and in attending social functions
- Inability to remember events or conversations that just occurred
- Problem with driving (failure to remember routes that are once familiar)
- Trouble doing everyday tasks
These are Alzheimer’s disease symptoms in the mild stage.
However, these can also be experienced by a person with other medical conditions like stress, drug abuse, Parkinson’s disease, thyroid problem and depression, as well as by an individual who took medications that do not work well together.
Moderate Alzheimer’s, which lasts from 2 to 10 years, creates a problem to one’s everyday life as memory loss begins to get worse. Apart from failing to remember some details about his own life (like what was his first work, when he got married and when is his birthday), things get worse when he can’t even remember his family and friends.
Other Alzheimer’s disease symptoms at this phase are:
- Unable to come up with the right words
- Rambling speech
- Getting mad or annoyed easily
- Delusions
- Difficulty sleeping
Severe Alzheimer’s lasts for 1 to 3 years. Symptoms include:
- Severe mood swings
- Hallucinations
- Difficulty to move on their own
- Inability to remember things or process information
- Illnesses, such as seizures, weight loss and skin infections
- Issues in managing bowels and swallowing
Are you suffering from normal aging or Alzheimer’s?
Are you experiencing Alzheimer’s disease symptoms or are those signs of normal aging? Every person may tend to forget what he just did or what has just happened. Those are minor memory glitches and may not be signs of Alzheimer’s. What’s distinct about the person with this health condition is that he can no longer do simple daily tasks, such as paying bills.
If you experience or see one or more of these signs, go to the doctor to get confirmation and seek Alzheimer’s treatment.