Symptoms & Stages

Recognition

10 Early Warning Signs

Recognizing the early signs of Alzheimer's can lead to earlier diagnosis and better management.

Memory Loss

Forgetting recently learned information, important dates, or events; asking for the same information repeatedly.

Problem-Solving Difficulties

Challenges in developing or following a plan, working with numbers, or following familiar recipes.

Familiar Tasks Become Challenging

Difficulty completing routine tasks at home, work, or leisure, such as driving to a familiar location.

Confusion with Time or Place

Losing track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time; forgetting where they are or how they got there.

Visual/Spatial Difficulties

Trouble reading, judging distance, determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving.

Language Problems

Difficulty following or joining a conversation; struggling with vocabulary, naming familiar objects, or finding the right word.

Misplacing Things

Putting things in unusual places; losing the ability to retrace steps to find lost items; accusing others of stealing.

Poor Judgment

Decreased judgment or decision-making abilities; paying less attention to grooming or keeping clean.

Social Withdrawal

Withdrawing from work, hobbies, social activities, or sports; avoiding social interactions due to changes experienced.

Mood and Personality Changes

Becoming confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious; easily upset at home, with friends, or when out of comfort zone.

Progression

Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's typically progresses slowly in three general stages: early, middle, and late.

Person in early stage of Alzheimer's looking slightly confused while doing everyday tasks

Early Stage (Mild)

In the early stage of Alzheimer's, a person may function independently. They may still drive, work, and be part of social activities. Despite this, they may feel as if they are having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar words or the location of everyday objects.

Common difficulties include:

Coming up with the right word or name
Remembering names when introduced to new people
Having difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings
Forgetting material that was just read
Losing or misplacing valuable objects
Increasing trouble with planning or organizing

Friends, family, or neighbors may begin to notice difficulties. During a detailed medical interview, doctors may be able to detect problems in memory or concentration.

Differentiation

Is It Alzheimer's or Normal Aging?

Many people worry about becoming forgetful as they age. Use this tool to compare typical age-related changes with symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Cognitive Function	Normal Aging	Alzheimer's Disease
Memory	Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later	Forgetting recently learned information, important dates, asking for the same information repeatedly
Problem Solving	Making occasional errors when managing finances or household bills	Difficulty following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills, concentration problems
Familiar Tasks	Occasionally needing help with settings on microwave or recording a TV show	Difficulty completing routine tasks such as driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work, or remembering rules of a game
Time/Place Awareness	Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later	Losing track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time; forgetting where they are or how they got there
Visual/Spatial Abilities	Vision changes related to cataracts or other eye conditions	Difficulty reading, judging distance, determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving
Language	Sometimes having trouble finding the right word	Difficulty following or joining a conversation; stopping in the middle of a conversation with no idea how to continue; repeating themselves
Judgment	Making a questionable or bad decision once in a while	Decreased judgment; paying less attention to grooming or keeping clean; poor decision-making with money