10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

Everyone, at some point, has forgotten where they placed their keys or why they walked into a room, so how do you know when it may be something more serious?

Well, The Colorado Chapter Alzheimer's Association Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Jim Herlihy, spoke with "Tuned In to NoCo" about the10 warning signs to look for when someone may be suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and how you can learn more at their upcoming Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) happening July 31 - August 4.

"This disease was discovered first 115 years ago and there is yet to be a survivor. AAIC brings together the best minds from around the world. Last year it was about 160 countries that were represented and what they do is they either come to learn or they bring their latest research. It looks at Alzheimer's from all perspectives. It's looking at prevention, it's looking at behaviors, diet and exercise. It's looking at diagnosis...and then obviously a cure."

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Herlihy says it can take between 2-20 years for the disease to fully progress and it's not necessarily genetic.

"A researcher at CU Anschutz told me, if you've seen one case of Alzheimer's, you've seen one case of Alzheimer's, because everyone is slightly different. What I've been told by researchers is that you may have the genes for Alzheimer's Disease and never develop it, or you may not have the gene and you may still develop it. So, it's not a guarantee but if both of your parents or several of your grandparents have the disease then you are statistically more likely to develop it...but it's still not a guarantee because age is the primary risk factor for developing Alzheimer's."

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease:
1. Memory Loss That Disrupts Daily Life
2. Challenges in Planning or Solving Problems
3. Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks
4. Confusions with Time or Place
5. Trouble Understanding Visual Images and Spatial Relationships
6. New Problems with Words in Speaking or Writing
7. Misplacing Things and Losing the Ability to Retrace Steps
8. Decreased or Poor Judgement
9. Withdrawal From Work of Social Activities
10. Changes in Mood or Personality

Herlihy says the 7th warning sign happens to everyone but it's when it becomes more severe that we should think twice.

"As we age we all forget where we park our car or why we walked into a room or where we put our keys, but when we can't retrace our steps, or if we find our car keys in the freezer, or we are parking somewhere that we would never think to park our car - those are signs that something unusual is going on."

Herlihy says there are 6.5 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease and 76,000 of them are Coloradoans.

For more information about Alzheimer's Disease click here.

To listen to the full interview, check out the link below.