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- What is Alzheimer's disease?
- Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
- Causes of Alzheimer's disease
- Prevention of Alzheimer's disease
- Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
- Complications of Alzheimer's disease
- When to see a doctor about Alzheimer's disease
- Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
- Conventional treatment of Alzheimer's disease
- Alternative/complementary treatment of Alzheimer's disease
- Living with Alzheimer's disease
- Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease
Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is characterised by a progression of symptoms, which start slowly and steadily become worse and worse in time.
Early symptoms (mild to moderate)
The early symptoms are normally not noticed at first, as they can be quite mild and signal a normal part of ageing (occasionally forgetting some things). Once the symptoms increase and worsen, they are noticed by other people.
- Difficulty in calculating simple maths problems
- Difficulty in retaining information
- Inability to recall people's names or familiar words
- Inability to perform complicated mathematical calculations (or do any analytical or critical thinking)
- Less ability to organise or carry out complicated plans
- Mild to moderate memory lapses
- Performance difficulties at work
- Socially withdrawn
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Later symptoms (severe)
At this stage, the symptoms are starting to be noticed by other people.
- Some help is needed for many daily activities (dressing, washing, eating, cooking) - which deteriorates until full time assistance is necessary for all daily activities
- Inability to remember address, phone number and date - this decline in cognition will progress until there is an in ability to remember anything
- Incontinence
- Insomnia
- Major decline in cognition
- Major gaps in memory
- Personal history will still be recalled, but symptoms will progress until this is also forgotten
- Personality changes - depression, anxiety, anger, hallucinations, suspicion and paranoia
Late-stage symptoms (very severe)
This is the final stage of Alzheimer's disease, where the disease progresses to such a point where the person loses all body movement and finally dies due to inability to control their bodily functions (including breathing).
- Difficulty swallowing
- Inability to cook and eat - feeding is achieved through tubes
- Inability to go to the toilet - require assistance
- Inability to speak
- Inability to walk without assistance - then inability to sit or hold the head up without assistance (can only lie down)
- Incontinence
- Loss of control of body movement
- Loss of control of reflexes
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