Fiona Phillips has revealed that she is living with Alzheimer's at the age of 62.
The GMTV host was diagnosed with the most common form of dementia 18 months ago, after mistaking her brain fog for an intense menopause. According to Alzheimer's UK, age 65 is when a person's risk of Alzheimer's doubles every five years, but those younger can still develop early onset dementia.
Alzheimer's signs can be tricky to spot, as many of its symptoms can be mistaken as "normal" in older people. What could be seen as forgetfulness, stress or depression may actually be indicators of the debilitating condition.
While there is no cure, knowing the signs of Alzheimer's is important, as suffering from it without realising can be scary. So what are the signs that you, or someone you know, may in fact be suffering from Alzheimer’s?
Here are seven warning signs of Alzheimer's to look out for, as reported by the Mirror.
1. Memory loss
Memory loss is one of the early signs of Alzheimer’s and can include forgetting important dates, names, places or events. Sufferers may also ask the same questions repeatedly, forgetting they have just received an answer, or retell stories.
2. Poor judgement
Alzheimer's also affects people’s judgement and decision-making ability. This could manifest as bad financial decisions, poor hygiene or socially inappropriate actions.
The disease can hinder people’s ability to plan, or follow directions which can lead to hasty decisions.
3. Misplacing things
This is one of the most frustrating symptoms for many sufferers as they might often put items in strange places. Unable to retrace their steps in order to find it again, it can make things very tricky and this can result in outbursts as they grow confused and suspicious of others.
4. Changes in mood
People who have Alzheimer’s may suffer from anxiety or mood changes, and become agitated or upset in both normal situations and when out of their comfort zone. This can also lead to withdrawal from social activities and hobbies.
5. Difficulty completing tasks
Daily tasks can become difficult for people that are suffering from the disease. It might be that they struggle to drive or travel to a particular location.
They might get confused while writing a shopping list or following a recipe, or even forget to clean parts of the house and take out the bins.
6. Confusion with time/place
Unfortunately people with Alzheimer’s may struggle with the particular dates, seasons, years, and the passing of time in general.
They might forget where they are, what they are supposed to be doing and how they got there. It is also a tell tale sign if people cannot understand why an activity or event is not happening immediately.
7. Problems with words
People may struggle to join in or follow along with a conversation. They might stop suddenly, and have no idea how to continue talking or start asking questions or repeat themselves.
This can also extend to vocabulary, with people calling items or other people the wrong name or using the wrong word - for example, calling a 'computer' a ‘typing machine’'.
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