Alzheimers disease progresses slowly, and changes take place gradually over time. People can live with Alzheimers disease for 3-25 years, although the average duration of the disease is about 8-10 years. In general, changes can be characterized in three phases.
Early Phase: Subtle changes occur, but the problem is sometimes hard to pinpoint. More often, family members recognize these changes rather than the patients themselves. Common changes may include:
- Forgetfulness and attempts to hide frequent forgetting
- Misplacing things
- Getting lost while driving
- Loss if interest in hobbies
- Difficulty concentrating
- Inability to recall words
- Decrease in sentence complexity
- Problems with mathematical calculations
- Getting lost in familiar surroundings
- Difficulty with tasks that require fine motor ability, such as putting a key in the keyhole or buttoning a shirt
- Difficulty in dealing with daily life tasks, such as managing finances, tending to household tasks, maintaining personal hygiene
- Repeating questions and stories
- Nonsensical wordy speech
- Naming difficulties
- Depressed mood
Middle Phase: Impairments in memory and mental functioning become more obvious. Long-term memory may still be intact, but short-term memory fails. Other changes include:
Difficulty sleeping
Becoming less sociable and less aware of the feelings of others
Needing help in making decisions
Needing assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing
Forgetting ones own past history of personal events
Personality changes, such as sudden mood shifts, anger, worry, or fearfulness
Advanced Phase: Abilities decline dramatically. Changes include:
Inability to use language
Becoming easily disoriented
Incontinence
Walking with a shuffle
Frequent falls
Showing minimal emotional response
Immobility and pain
Weight loss and inability to swallow
Agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, and mood changes
Difficulty sleeping
References:
Alzheimers Association website. Available at: http://www.alz.org/.
National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health website. Available at: http://www.nia.nih.gov/.
Last reviewed April 2007 by Roshni N. Patel, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
CONTRIBUTE TO THIS STORY
