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Forgetfulness is commonly seen in older adults, but not all forgetfulness is the same. Some types of memory loss may signal the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia. If family members overlook these early signs, diagnosis may be delayed, making treatment more difficult. Early medical consultation can help prevent or slow disease progression, improving quality of life for patients.
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<h2>Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease</h2>
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder caused by the gradual degeneration of brain cells. It leads to a decline in acetylcholine, a chemical that helps transmit messages in the brain. This affects a person’s thinking, memory, language, and behavior—disrupting their daily life.
Dr. Napasri Chaisinanankun, a neurologist and stroke specialist at Phyathai 1 Hospital, explains that Alzheimer’s progresses in three stages:
<h3>1. Early Stage</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Patients can still perform daily tasks. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Begin forgetting recent events or conversations. 
 (Example: They may call their child and tell a story, then call again later to tell the same story.) 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Repeated questions or conversations. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Long-term memories (e.g., youth) remain intact. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">May forget names of objects but still know their purpose. 
 (e.g., can’t say &#8220;watch&#8221; but knows it tells time.) 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Confusion with directions or making decisions, especially in unfamiliar places.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2. Middle Stage</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Decline in self-care. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">May neglect hygiene or forget daily routines. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emotional instability, mood swings, and personality changes. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Increasing memory loss—forgetting if they’ve eaten, difficulty using language, calling people by wrong names. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">May begin to experience hallucinations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>3. Late Stage</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Requires 24-hour care. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Limited physical movement or bedridden. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Severe memory loss—may not recognize close family or even their own name. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emotional and behavioral disturbances—aggression, throwing objects, messy eating. 
</li>
</ul>
Unable to perform basic tasks like feeding or grooming. 

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<h2>How to Tell Alzheimer&#8217;s from Normal Aging?</h2>
<h4>1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Constantly forgets new information, important dates, or asks the same questions repeatedly. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Occasional forgetfulness that comes back to mind later.</li>
</ul>
<h4>2. Difficulty planning or solving problems</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Struggles with tasks like dressing, cooking, or handling money. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Makes repetitive mistakes like over-seasoning food or paying the wrong amount. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Minor mistakes due to hearing or vision issues, but usually recognized and corrected.</li>
</ul>
<h4>3. Trouble with familiar tasks or directions</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gets lost on regular routes or forgets how to use common devices like phones or remotes. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Trouble with unfamiliar technologies, but manages regular routines fine.</li>
</ul>
<h4>4. Confusion with time and place</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Doesn’t know the current day, season, or how to get to familiar places. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Occasional confusion about the day, but realizes it later.</li>
</ul>
<h4>5. Visual perception issues</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">May think their reflection is someone else, unable to process what a mirror shows. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Blurred vision due to eye aging, but understands what they see.</li>
</ul>
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<h4>6. Trouble finding words</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pauses during conversation, struggles to continue talking, repeats phrases, or uses incorrect words. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Occasional word-finding difficulty that resolves later.</li>
</ul>
<h4>7. Misplacing things and unable to retrace steps</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Leaves items in strange places (e.g., remote in the fridge) and accuses others of stealing. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: May misplace things but remembers or finds them eventually.</li>
</ul>
<h4>8. Poor judgment</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Doesn’t dress appropriately for events or forgets to bathe. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Occasional laziness or tiredness may cause neglect, but it’s not habitual.</li>
</ul>
<h4>9. Withdrawal from social activities</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stops engaging in favorite hobbies or avoids people out of embarrassment or confusion. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Temporary withdrawal due to fatigue or life circumstances (e.g., stress or family issues).</li>
</ul>
<h4>10. Changes in mood or personality</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Becomes easily irritated, anxious, depressed, or suspicious—especially in unfamiliar environments. 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normal aging: Temporary mood changes that resolve once situations improve.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>What to Watch For</h2>
<h3>Alzheimer’s affects four major areas:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Memory 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Thinking 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Language 
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Behavior</li>
</ol>
If changes are seen across these areas and are progressive or disruptive, it’s important to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and care. While some forgetfulness is normal, persistent patterns may indicate something more serious.
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Forgetfulness is commonly seen in older adults, but not all forgetfulness is the same.

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