📩 20/09/2023 12:53
Acıbadem Fulya Hospital Neurology Specialist Dr. In her statement within the scope of September 1-30 World Alzheimer's Awareness Month, Faculty Member Yıldız Kaya explained the 10 important differences between Alzheimer's disease and normal forgetfulness and the 10 most common symptoms of Alzheimer's, and made important warnings and suggestions.
Acıbadem Fulya Hospital Neurologist Dr. stated that forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common findings, especially in the early stages of the disease. Lecturer Yıldız Kaya said, “Patients forget important days or events. They constantly repeat the same questions and therefore they start taking notes or asking their relatives for help in doing some of their work. "In aging-related memory impairment, the patient may sometimes forget names and appointments, but later remembers this information." said.
Difficulty making plans and solving problems
Kaya stated that the person begins to have difficulty in planning and calculating a required job and said, “He/she has difficulty in managing monthly financial accounts. They take longer to complete tasks that they could do before and have difficulty concentrating. In the aging process, they rarely make mistakes in financial functions, calculations or household financial affairs.” he said.
Difficulty doing familiar daily tasks
Emphasizing that Alzheimer's patients have difficulty in performing their routine daily tasks, Kaya said:
“They may have difficulty going home to a place they know. They may not be able to prepare a shopping list or remember the rules of a game they know very well. "In the aging period, people may sometimes make mistakes in more complex tasks such as operating a newly purchased appliance, such as an oven, or recording and re-watching a television series."
Confusing time and space
Stating that Alzheimer's patients confuse days, seasons and time, Kaya said, “Sometimes they cannot recognize the environment they find or even their own homes, and they ask how they got there. In forgetfulness due to aging, they confuse what day of the week it is and then remember it with clues.” he said.
Having difficulty with visual perception
Neurologist Dr. Lecturer Yıldız Kaya: “Some Alzheimer's patients may have difficulty perceiving what they see. For this reason, difficulty in reading and writing and sometimes loss of balance while walking may develop. In addition, in some cases, they are especially unable to drive a car due to difficulty in adjusting the distance and distinguishing colors. In cases related to aging, visual impairments occur if the person has an eye-related health problem such as cataracts.” he said.
Difficulty speaking and writing
Alzheimer's patients sohbetStating that he had difficulty participating in the meeting and following the speech, Kaya continued his words as follows:
“While talking, they suddenly stop and forget what they were going to say or start repeating what they said. They have difficulty finding words and naming things, and they name them with the wrong words. "In age-related processes, sometimes it may be difficult to find the right word."
Difficulty locating items
Kaya stated that Alzheimer's patients put belongings in unusual places and cannot remember that place later, and said, “They may accuse the people they live with of stealing their belongings. "In age-related forgetfulness, although they rarely forget where they put their belongings, they can find them later by searching." said.
difficulty making decisions
Underlining that patients have difficulty in making decisions and reasoning about a job, especially in the later stages of the disease, Kaya said, “They cannot plan their financial affairs. Self-care functions such as bathing and washing hands are impaired. "During age-related forgetfulness, they may sometimes make mistakes by making wrong decisions, but they can figure it out later." he said.
Staying away from social activities and the workplace
Kaya, Alzheimer's patients avoid social activities, hobbies and activities they used to do because they cannot engage in a conversation and follow the topic. "In the age-related process, sometimes there may be reluctance to participate in family and social events." he stated.
Changes in personality and affect
Stating that individuals with Alzheimer's disease may develop skepticism, confusion, depression, anxiety and fear, Kaya concluded his words as follows:
“When they leave their safe areas, they can easily become angry or sad without any reason in their home life. "In the aging-related period, people have their own ways of doing some of their work, and when these routines are disrupted, they may experience anger and unrest."