Applying the word “Alzheimer’s” to someone close to you can be uncomfortable, even if the signs, or symptoms, have been adding up for some time. It’s much easier to gloss over strange behavior: “Oh, Mom’s just getting older.”Or to rationalize: “Well, we all forget things sometimes.”

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Only a qualified physician can conclude with high certainty that a living person has Alzheimer’s disease. But the following eight symptoms are strongly associated with the disease. if you detect these signs in someone, it would be wise to seek a medical evaluation.

Alzheimer’s Symptom: Memory lapses

1. Does the person ask repetitive questions or retell stories within minutes of the first mention?
2. Does she forget the names of recent acquaintances or younger family members, such as grandchildren?
3. Are memory lapses growing progressively worse (such as affecting information that was previously very well known)?
4. Are they happening more frequently (several times a day or within short periods of time)?
5. Is this forgetfulness unusual for the person (such as sudden memory lapses in someone who prided herself on never needing grocery lists or an address book)?

Everyone forgets some things sometimes. But the person may have Alzheimer’s disease if you notice these kinds of lapses.

Having problems with memory is the first and foremost symptom noticed. It’s a typical Alzheimer’s symptom to forget things learned recently (such as the answer to a question, an intention to do something, or a new acquaintance) but to still be able to remember things from the remote past (such as events or people from childhood, sometimes with explicit detail). in time, even long-term memories will be affected. But by then other Alzheimer’s symptoms will have appeared.

Alzheimer’s Symptom: Confusion over words

1. Does the person have difficulty finding the “right” word when she’s speaking?
2. Does she forget or substitute words for everyday things (such as “the cooking thingamajig” for pot or “hair fixer” for comb)?
3. Of course it’s normal for anyone to occasionally “blank” on a word, especially words not often used. But it’s considered a red flag for Alzheimer’s if this happens with growing frequency and if the needed words are simple or commonplace ones.

This can be a very frustrating experience for the speaker. She may stall during a conversation, fixating on finding a particular word. She may replace the right word with another word. This substitute could be similar enough that you could guess at her meaning (“hair dryer” instead of “hairdresser”), especially early on in the disease process. or it could be completely different (“bank” instead of “hairdresser”) or nonsensical (“hairydoo”).

Alzheimer’s Symptom: Marked changes in mood or personality

1. Is the person who’s usually assertive more subdued (or vice versa)? 2 has the person who’s reserved become less inhibited (or vice versa)?
2. Does she withdraw, even from family and friends, perhaps in response to problems with memory or communication?
3. Has she developed mood swings, anxiety, or frustration, especially in connection with embarrassing memory lapses or noticeable communication problems?
4. Has she developed uncharacteristic fears of new or unknown environments or situations, or developed a distrust of others, whether strangers or familiar people?
5. Do you see signs of depression (including changes in sleep, appetite, mood)?

Mood shifts are a difficult sign to link decisively to Alzheimer’s disease because age and any medical condition may spark changes in someone’s mood, personality, or behavior. in combination with other Alzheimer’s symptoms, however, changes such as those described above may contribute to a suspicion of the disease.

A person with Alzheimer’s may also become restless and/or aggressive, but usually in later stages of the disease.