Alzheimer's, a disease that experts estimate afflicts as many as 5 million Americans, is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the abilty to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer's symptoms first appear after age 60.
Not allcognitive impirment can be attributed to dementia, a disease class of which Alzheimer's is just one form. Forgetfulness can be a side effect of a newly prescribed drug or caused by stress or sleep-deprivation. Following are the signs that your memory loss is and isn't serious enough to seek medical advice.
Probably not serious: If your forgetfulness doesn't interfere with your everyday life, you're probably OK. For example, mismembering the name of a movie star or your childhood baseball coach, or not being able to recall what you just came into a room to retrieve, are not signs of dementia, noted Paula Spencer, a writer with Caring.com.
"Slowed recall of information from time to time is normal, caused by the naturally aging brain and other lifestyle factors (like trying to cram too many tasks into one day)," she wrote in her article "Worried About Your Memory? 5 Signs It's Not Serious."
May be serious: Forgetting steps in your normal routine,such as turning off the oven after cooking, feeding the cat or putting on a coat before you head out the door in winter, could be signs of a more serious condition.
Probably not serious: If you recently were started on a new medication, or the dosage of one your medications has been changed, and you've noticed you're more "fuzzy-brained," talk with your doctor to see if minor neurological problems are potential adverse effects.
"Drug side effects happen to be one of the more common, unexpected causes of memory trouble," wrote Spencer. Some culpritdrugs include those that treat anxiety, heartburn, incontinence, high cholesterol and depression, to name a few.
May be serious: If you're the only one who isn't worried about your memory loss. In general, family members and friends tend to notice the early signs of Alzheimer's before the sufferer does, and are even better at spotting the symptoms than traditional screening tests, according to a 2010 study at the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Indeed, family friction usually predates an Alzheimer's diagnosis. "You find yourself in arguments over who neglected to do something, missed appointments, forgotten messages or lost drivers," Spencer wrote. If your family is advising you to se your doctor about your memory loss, or they're saying you're "different" these days --- for example, you're more confused , depressed,fearful, suspicious, anxious socially withdrawn ---- heed the warning and make the appointment with your physician.
Proably not serious: If brain-training exercises actually do improve your memory. While the games, software and various brain fitness products available today may not actually reverse Alzheimer's disease, they may have a protective effect on healthy brains, wrote Spencer. "Dementia is not so much a problem of retrieving old memories as it is an inability to form new ones. If you can still learn new things, you're forming new memories," she wrote. And that's a healthy sign.
May be serious: If you're not stressed, sleep-deprived or crazy busy, and you're still forgetting things. Forgetfulness increases when your stress level rises or you're losing sleep or trying to multitask for hours at a time. But if you're calm and unstressed ---- and still forgetting to get your mail or take a shower ---- those might be warning signs of something more serious.
May be serious: If you frequently don't know what day of the week it is or you don't remember how you got somewhere, see your doctor, as these are warning signs of Alzheimer's.
For more info: The following websites offer helpful information on dementia and Alzheimer's disease:
- The Alzheimer's Association, http://www.alz.org/
- PubMed Health: www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001767
- National Institute on Aging: www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/AlzheimersInformation/GeneralInfo
- WedMD: www.wedmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia
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