Alzheimer's early warning signs

According to the Alzheimer's Association, the disease differs from normal aging in:

1. Memory loss. A person with Alzheimer's disease begins to forget more often and is unable to recall recently learned information. Forgetting names or appointments occasionally is normal.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. Individuals may forget the steps involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call or playing a game, for example. But it's normal to occasionally forget why you came into a room or what you planned to say.

3. Problems with language. People with Alzheimer's often forget simple words or substitute unusual words. Sometimes having difficulty finding the right word is normal.

4. Time and place disorientation. People with Alzheimer's can become lost in their own neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home. Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going is normal.

5. Poor or decreased judgment. Those with Alzheimer's may put on several layers of clothing on a warm day or next to nothing in the cold. It's normal to make a questionable decision occasionally.

6. Problems with abstract thinking. Someone with Alzheimer's may have unusual difficulty with complex mental tasks, such as how to use numbers. It's normal to find it challenging to balance a checkbook.

7. Misplacing things. A person with Alzheimer's may put an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. Misplacing keys or a wallet temporarily is normal.

8. Changes in mood or behavior. Someone with Alzheimer's may for no apparent reason be calm one minute, in tears the next and angry after that. It's normal to feel sad or moody occasionally.

9. Changes in personality. Someone with Alzheimer's may become extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a family member. It's normal for some personality change to occur with age.

10. Loss of initiative. Someone with Alzheimer's may sit in front of the TV for hours, sleep more than usual or not want to participate in their usual activities.

Feeling tired of work or social commitments sometimes is normal.

- - www.alz.org.