Know the Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

November is National Alzheimer’s DiseaseAwareness Month, a time to remember this neurological disorder that affects memory, thinking and behavior. In addition to memory loss, symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may include:

• inability to follow a plan or work with numbers;
• difficulty completing familiar tasks;
• confusion about time or place; vision problems;
• difficulty speaking or writing; misplacing things;
• poor judgment;
• withdrawal from work and/or social activities; and
• changes in mood and personality.

More than five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, which gradually gets worse over time. While there is no cure for it, researchers continue to look for new treatments to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people living with it.

Five medications are available to treat cognitive symptoms for people with Alzheimer’s, temporarily helping their memory and thinking problems. However, these medications do not treat the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. There are many other new drugs that scientists are studying that will better target the areas of the brain that Alzheimer’s disease affects.

This post was written by Marc Gordon, MD, chief or neurology at The Zucker Hillside Hospital.

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