10 Warning Signs of Early Alzheimer's Disease

• Recent memory loss that affects job skills. It's normal to forget people's names from time to time, but frequent forgetfulness is cause for concern.
  
  
  
  


• Difficulty performing familiar tasks. Anyone can leave a button unbuttoned. But when someone becomes persistently challenged by buttons, or other tasks of daily living that most people take for granted, it might signal Alzheimer's.
  
  
  
  


• Language problems. From time to time, anyone can have difficulty finding the right word. But for people with Alzheimer's, simple words present problems, and sentences can become incomprehensible.
  
  
  
  


• Time and place disorientation. It's normal to forget the date or a destination. But people with Alzheimer's often feel lost standing across the street from their homes.
  
  
  
  


• Loss of judgment. Anyone can fail to notice that an item of clothing is stained. But when someone dresses completely inappropriately -- wearing several shirts or mistaking underwear for a hat -- that's cause for concern.
  
  
  
  


• Problems with abstract thinking. Anyone can struggle over balancing a checkbook. People with Alzheimer's forget what numbers are for and how to use them.
  
  
  
  


• Misplacing things. Anyone can misplace a wallet or keys. But when someone puts a wallet in the refrigerator, or keys in the sink, that might signal Alzheimer's.
  
  
  
  


• Changes in mood or behavior. Changing moods are a fact of life. But people with Alzheimer's often exhibit rapid mood changes -- from calm to tears to rage -- for no apparent reason.
  
  
  
  


• Changes in personality. People often become more "crotchety" as they get older. But Alzheimer's often makes people paranoid, very confused, or fearful.
  
  
  
  


• Loss of initiative. It's normal to get bored with daily activities. But when people lose much of their get-up-and-go, that's cause for concern.