20 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's
The key warning sign for Alzheimer's is change. The early symptoms of dementia are changes in your ability to process information, especially new information. Here are some examples of changes in ability to remember which can indicate early warning signs of Alzheimer's or other dementia:
- Losing sense of smell or taste, or changes in those senses.
- Having trouble remembering names more than you did before.
- Losing things like car keys or glasses more often than before.
- Forgetting where you parked your car more frequently.
- Not being able to remember how to get to a store or friend's house you've visited before.
- Not being able to remember the title of a movie you just saw.
- Substituting a word because you can't remember the one you wanted.
- Forgetting appointments or phone calls more frequently.
- Needing to re-read something because you forgot it.
- Repeating questions because you forgot the answer.
- Having people tell you that you already told them something.
- Feeling depressed without a particular cause.
- Not remembering whether you took your medications.
- Buying too much of things, or buying things you forgot you already have.
- Having more difficulty in organizing events, or paperwork.
- Finding it more difficult to finish complicated tasks.
- Not feeling motivated to finish a project you started.
- Feeling more irritable, less in control of your emotions.
- Having more trouble learning a new task, like how to use a new phone.
- More difficulty in handling finances than before.