Alzheimer’s disease is often associated with old age; however, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that close to 200,000 people contract this condition in their 40s and 50s. This is termed as early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Early onset Alzheimer’s often goes undiagnosed because providers don’t actively look for it in their younger patients. Therefore, it is commonly written off as stress or the memory problems are attributed to another diagnosis.
What are the Early Signs?
The Alzheimer’s Association gives 10 warning signs/symptoms that one might have this disease:
- Memory loss that is disruptive to daily life
- Changes in your ability to plan or problem solve
- Difficulty in completing familiar daily tasks
- Losing track of dates, seasons, and time passage
- Vision problems
- New problems with words with relation to speaking or writing
- Misplacing items and loss of the ability to retrace steps
- Changes in judgment or decision making
- Withdrawal from previously enjoyed activities/hobbies
- Mood and personality changes
If you or a loved one are having memory issues and you suspect that it might be Alzheimer’s, consult your or his/her physician to schedule a comprehensive medical exam and keep a log of memory loss symptoms and other cognitive difficulties you or they are having.
