What Are the Beginning Symptoms of Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer's disease affects mental capabilities, normally manifesting in the form of problems with memory. The majority of Alzheimer's patients are age 65 or older. Early symptoms can be relatively easy to identify.

Identification

• Early symptoms of Alzheimer's may include constantly misplacing items, repeating things and displaying poor recall. Mood swings, withdrawal, aggressive behavior and extreme stubbornness may occur as well.

Features

• While these symptoms, particularly memory loss, may worsen with time, they may be difficult to identify at first. The person might not exhibit them consistently in the beginning, and they may not seem severe.

Effects

• Alzheimer's begins to occur when healthy brain tissue starts to deteriorate. At that point, the early symptoms will begin appearing.

Prevention

• While no cure for Alzheimer's has yet been found, some medications may help to treat the symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine may reduce feelings of anxiety, agitation, depression and sleeplessness.

Warning

• Many factors may contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's, such as unhealthy living and little to no physical or mental activity.