Alzheimer's Symptoms Vs. Aging

If you or your loved one is experiencing memory loss, especially involving newly learned information, there is a reason to have an exam. However, sometimes forgetting a name or an appointment is something that everyone experiences, even if it is abnormal for you. Other situations like being confused when following a recipe or foregoing the budget or bills when you have always been a stickler for organization may be a clear sign, but age can take a small toll and minor, occasional mistakes are just part of life.

Alzheimer's symptoms can make formerly well known tasks such as driving familiar routes or knowing the rules to a favorite game seem insurmountable, but you may be experiencing normal effects of aging if you just cannot keep up with technology and need help programming the DVR no matter how many times someone tries to teach you. And while an old favorite game may not be appealing any longer, if your loved one seems to have removed himself from hobbies or if social gatherings seem to bring on stress and fear, you should see a doctor, though as we age we tend to stray from many social gatherings just because we value our time more than when we were younger.

As we age, technology and investment rules change and it may be hard to keep up with what is trustworthy and what is not, but if a loved one seems to be making rash, unexplained, and significantly large mistakes with money, you should investigate. The phenomenon known as victimizing seniors by dishonest and false investors often succeeds with dementia patients as they are so intent on being independent that they do not want to ask for help in such situations.

Misplacing things, decreasing vocabulary, and vision changes are all part of aging as well. Vision changes that involve poor judgment of space or distance, not recognizing oneself in the mirror, or a suspicious decrease in literacy and comprehension are Alzheimer's symptoms, however, and misplacing common everyday objects like keys which are later to be found in the oven, refrigerator or some other ridiculously inappropriate place is a strong sign of the disease. In addition, occasionally forgetting a more sophisticated vocabulary word such as not being able to conjure a synonym for the word big is normal; calling a the television a talk box or a watch a hand clock is worth investigating to see if your loved one is exhibiting Alzheimer's symptoms.