
7 Early Signs of Alzheimer's
Find out how you know whether your forgetfulness is just a sign of trying to do too much at once or whether you might be showing early signs of Alzheimer's.
Jun 28, 2018
Jun 09, 2021
Menopause & Aging WellBeth brings a unique combination of sharp business expertise and women's health insight to her leadership of the organization. Beth has worked in the health care industry for more than 25 years helping to define and drive public education programs on a broad range of women's health issues. She launched and has expanded the HealthyWomen.org brand. As a result of her leadership, HealthyWomen was recognized as one of the top 100 women's health web sites by Forbes for three consecutive years, and was recognized by Oprah magazine as one of the top women's health web sites. HealthyWomen now connects to millions of women across the country through its wide program distribution and innovative use of technology.
Beth is responsible for the business development and strategic positioning of HealthyWomen. She creates partnerships with key health care professionals and consumer groups to provide strategic, engaging and informative award-winning programs. She serves as the organization's chief spokesperson, regularly participating in corporate, non-profit, community and media events. She also is a practicing nurse in maternal child health at Riverview Medical Center- Hackensack Meridian Health, in Red Bank, NJ.
In addition to her nursing degree, Beth holds degrees in political science, business and public administration from Marymount University.
To stay sane, she loves to run and compete in road races. She enjoys skiing and sailing with her husband and young son, and welcoming new babies into the world.
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You might have a habit of misplacing your cell phone. Or maybe there was the time you ran into an old high school pal—the one whose yearbook you signed, "friends 4-ever"—but you blanked on her name.
With June being Alzheimer's disease and brain awareness month, it's a good reminder to learn the early signs of Alzheimer's, a disease of the brain that causes gradual memory loss as well as a decline in thinking and reasoning skills.
So maybe you're wondering: If I forget things, misplace belongings, blank on a word or a name, am I destined for Alzheimer's?
Not necessarily. With life being busy and our minds constantly challenged with processing and storing new and old information, it's totally normal to occasionally slip up in the memory department.
Another culprit? Multitasking. Most of us inevitably find ourselves doing a zillion things at once, which is an impossible thing to do, according to recent research. Although we may think we are capable of it, multitasking is but a myth. Our brain is not designed to perform multiple tasks at the same time.
Memory is also a function of the cognitive decline that's a normal process of aging. Our memory or recall of events that happened years before are stored and preserved; yet, recent memory or the formation of new memories becomes more vulnerable as we age.
Alzheimer's is so much more than occasionally forgetting things. It's when forgetting begins to disrupt your day so that it becomes difficult to perform tasks and live the way you're accustomed to, and you may show other signs, too.
When Alzheimer's is detected early, you can seek treatments that can help relieve some symptoms and sometimes slow progression of symptoms, often enabling you to live more independently for longer. You may also be able to participate in a clinical trial and, in return, help contribute to medical advances and future treatments.
Learn How to Make Your Home Safer for Someone With Alzheimer's.
If you're worried that you might have early onset Alzheimer's, which affects about 200,000 Americans under age 65, read on.
Alzheimer's is not only hard on the person it affects but can also place a lot of stress and sadness on their loved ones. It's not unusual for someone with the disease to become suspicious, depressed, anxious, fearful or easily upset and frustrated.
There are currently five medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's. Although they cannot cure the disease or prevent it from progressing, they may help lessen or stabilize the symptoms. There are also nondrug treatments that may help with behavioral symptoms. It's important to seek a diagnosis early and get support if you are the caregiver.