Memory problems / forgetfulness

One of the main symptoms of the onset of Alzheimer's disease is an impairment of short-term memory, which affects daily life.

This forgetfulness manifests itself, for example, in important appointments being forgotten, the stove not being switched off or only being able to cope with everyday life with the help of notepads.

Normal age-related changes:
Names or appointments are forgotten for a short time, but remembered later.

Difficulties with planning and problem solving

Those affected find it difficult to concentrate over a longer period of time or to plan and implement something with foresight. They need more time for many things than before.

Problems arise, for example, when cooking or baking according to familiar recipes, dealing with numbers or paying bills.

Normal age-related changes:
Absent-mindedness when there are many things to do at the same time.

Problems with familiar activities

Everyday activities are suddenly perceived as a major challenge. Routine tasks at work become a problem or the rules of a familiar game are forgotten.

Normal age-related changes:
Occasional need for help in coping with demanding everyday tasks, for example programming the television.

Spatial and temporal orientation problems

It is often no longer possible to locate places or time intervals. For example, those affected forget the year and the time of year, can no longer read the clock or no longer know where they are in their street or how to get home.

Normal age-related changes:
Mixing up the day of the week from time to time and remembering it later.

Perceptual disorders

Many of those affected have great difficulty recognizing images and grasping spatial dimensions. Weaknesses can be seen, for example, when recognizing colors and contrasts, when reading or when recognizing familiar faces.

Normal age-related changes:
Altered or diminished vision, for example due to clouding of the lens of the eye.

New speech and writing difficulties

Many sufferers find it difficult to follow a conversation and actively participate in it. They lose the thread, use inappropriate filler words or have problems finding words. Frequent repetition can also be a sign.

Normal age-related change:
Occasionally failing to think of the right word.

Misplacing objects

People with Alzheimer's disease often leave things lying around or put them in unusual places. They not only forget where things are, but also what they are good for. For example, they put their shoes in the fridge or their car keys in the letterbox.

Normal age-related changes:
Things get misplaced from time to time and then found again.

Impaired judgment

The ability to make judgments and decisions often changes, for example when choosing clothes (winter boots in summer), handling money or personal hygiene.

Normal age-related changes:
Rash or wrong decisions.

Loss of initiative and withdrawal from social life

Many of those affected increasingly lose their own initiative and pursue their hobbies, social or sporting activities less and less. They notice changes in themselves that make them feel insecure and withdraw.

Normal age-related change:
You sometimes feel overwhelmed by the demands of work, family or social commitments.

Changes in personality and behavior

Severe mood swings for no apparent reason can be a consequence of Alzheimer's disease. Pronounced personality changes can also occur, for example severe discomfort in unfamiliar spaces, sudden mistrust, aggressive behavior or feelings of helplessness, sadness and restlessness.

Normal age-related changes:
Irritation when familiar everyday routines are changed or interrupted.

Always get symptoms of dementia checked out!

Important: If one or more of these symptoms occur repeatedly in you or a family member, you should seek medical advice. This will enable you to get help at an early stage if it is the onset of Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Curable diseases with similar symptoms can also be diagnosed and treated in this way.

(https://www.alzheimer-forschung.de/alzheimer/symptome/frueherkennung/, 12.08.2024)