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Normal Forgetfulness vs. Memory Impairment
As we age, the process of recalling information slows down. It is normal to experience forgetfulness such as not being able to recall an acquaintance's name or appointments, or not remembering what you wanted in the kitchen once you get there.

Occasional memory problems may result from stress, distractions, grief, fatigue, poor vision or hearing, use of alcohol, an illness, or trying to remember too many details at once. Clinical depression also may cause poor concentration, sleep disturbance, or other symptoms that lead to forgetfulness in persons who do not have Alzheimer's disease.

What is Dementia?  

Dementia is the loss of intellectual functions (such as thinking, remembering and reasoning) of sufficient severity as to interfere with a person's daily functioning. People with dementia experience short-term memory lapses and confusion that are more persistent, more severe, and more disabling than normal forgetting. These memory problems affect performance of everyday activities such as handling finances, doing household chores, and maintaining good hygiene habits.

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common of the dementia disorders. It is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.

Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

• Recent memory loss – forgetting more often and not remembering later

• Difficulty performing familiar or routine tasks – meal preparation, doing laundry

• Problems with language – trouble finding the right word, forgetting simple words, substituting inappropriate words

• Disorientation of time and place – getting lost in your own neighborhood, not knowing how to get home or to familiar places

• Poor or decreased judgment – dressing inappropriately, layering clothing, disrobing in public, leaving stove burners on

• Problems with abstract thinking – balancing a checkbook, coming up with a reasonable plan to an everyday problem like a toilet that is overflowing

• Misplacing things – putting things in inappropriate places and cannot remember where to find common items, putting frozen items in oven

• Changes in mood or behavior – rapid mood swings for no apparent reason

• Changes in personality – becoming confused, suspicious, fearful and may think family members are stealing things

• Loss of initiative – becoming very passive and requiring cues and prompting to become involved

Alzheimer's Disease Statistics (provided by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America)

• It is estimated that Alzheimer's disease currently affects more than 5 million Americans.

• It is projected that the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease could more than triple to 16 million by mid-century.

• An estimated 1 in 8 persons aged 65 and older has Alzheimer's disease.

• It is estimated that 1 to 4 family members act as caregivers for each individual with Alzheimer's disease.

• Alzheimer's disease is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.

• Although Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging, the risk of developing the illness rises with age. Current research from the National Institute on Aging indicates that the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.

• As our population ages, the disease impacts a greater percentage of Americans. The number of people age 65 and older will more than double between 2000 and 2030 to 70.3 million or 20% of the U.S. population; likewise, those 85 and older will rise two-fold, to 8.9 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• It is estimated that about a half million Americans younger than age 65 have some form of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. (This is referred to as young onset or early onset.)

• In Palm Beach County there are more than 49,000 people affected by Alzheimer's disease. In Martin County there are more than 6,400 people and close to 9,000 people in Saint Lucie County affected by Alzheimer's disease

Diagnosis

• Obtaining a proper diagnosis involves consulting with a healthcare professional who is an expert in dementia, and communicating symptoms and experienced in testing
• Experienced clinicians can accurately diagnose dementia 90% of the time. Accurate diagnosis is critical. Some conditions that cause symptoms of dementia, such as hormone imbalance, vitamin deficiency and infections, can be reversed. For irreversible dementias, treatment options vary depending on the disease.
• Diagnostic tools: include a complete medical history; blood, urine or other medical tests; neuropsychological tests that measure memory, problem solving, attention, and language; and brain scans.
• Individuals with clinically diagnosed dementia have clear cognitive loss in two or more intellectual domains, such as amnesia (loss of memory) and aphasia (inability to communicate effectively), but almost all individuals with Alzheimer's disease demonstrate short-term memory impairment.
• Other types of dementia may begin with a slow loss of memory function; however, a careful clinical evaluation will usually provide information that suggests dementia other than Alzheimer's disease.

Click here for more facts about Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders.

Click here for Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers.
 

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