Alzheimer’s Association has published a list of top 10 warnings signs of Alzheimer’s – a brain disease that causes gradual decline in memory, reasoning ability and judgement. Most people may experience some of these signs to some degrees. Please consult a doctor if you, or someone in the family experience them on a frequent basis.

1. Regular memory loss that disrupts your normal routines. This is one of the most visible sign of Alzheimer’s. Other signs of Alzheimer’s include forgetting key appointments, dates or events; repeatedly asking the same information; over reliance on memory aides such as reminder features on an electronic device, timers, phones etc. If it is age related, it is common to forget names of near and loved ones or sometimes totally forgetting appointments and names, but remember them later.

2. Challenges in planning/solving problems. A few people may experience challenges in developing and following plans and working with numbers. Some will have difficulty in following routine recipes or keeping track of regular bills. Concentration becomes difficult. It may take much longer and more difficult to do things which they did with ease before. If it is just an age related change, there would be some minor errors such as balancing a checkbook.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Some people will have trouble managing a budget, driving to familiar locations or simply remembering rules of their favorite games. A typical age related memory loss would be an inability to set up a microwave or recording TV shows.

4. Confusion with times and places are signs of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty comprehending something that is not happening right away. Sometimes they forget when and how they got somewhere. A normal age related issue is to forget the day of the week, but remember a little later.

5. Visual Problems. Some people with symptoms of Alzheimer’s have trouble understanding spatial relationships and visual problems. They may have difficulty judging distance, reading, determining colors and contrasts. They may perceive their own image in the mirror as someone else’s. In normal circumstances, vision issues are related to cataracts.

6. Problems with basic words while speaking and writing. Some of the early signs come from the way they have trouble following a conversation. They will suddenly stop or repeat themselves. They also have trouble finding the right words in their vocabulary. Sometimes they will call people or object by wrong names.

7. Misplacing objects/things and lost ability to retrace steps. They may place things and objects in odd places such as clothes in the refrigerator; or milk in the closet. If they can not find an item, they will accuse others of stealing. As the disease starts setting in, such accusations accelerate in frequency. It is quite common for a normal person to misplace remote control or a pair of reading glasses.

8. Decreased judgment. Alzheimer’s patients may experience changes in their decision making or judgment process in dealing with money. They become gullible preys to telemarketers or anyone who asks them for favor or money. They do not pay any attention to their personal grooming or cleanliness.

9. Social Withdrawal. They may start to withdraw from the social scene, hobbies, projects or sports. They may start forgetting about rules of their favorite games or the team they usually support. If they have been working, they will be gradually avoiding their workplace. If it is just age related, patients sometimes feel weary of family, social obligations or work.

10. Their moods and personalities change. They become depressed, fearful, suspicious, confused and anxious. They get upset easily with family, friends or colleagues. They feel out of their comfort zone in many situations. In normal age related issues, a person become becomes irritable when their specific ways of doing a routine are disrupted.

Please also visit Alzheimer’s Association website at alz. org for in-depth information.