Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK.
Dementia is a progressive neurological disease which affects multiple brain functions, including memory.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, although a number of things are thought to increase your risk of developing the condition. These include:
increasing age
a family history of the condition
previous severe head injuries
lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease
It’s becoming increasingly understood that it’s very common to have both changes of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia together (mixed dementia).
Read more about the causes of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms develop gradually and become more severe over the course of several years. It affects multiple brain functions.
The first sign of Alzheimer’s disease is usually minor memory problems. For example, this could be forgetting about recent conversations or events, and forgetting the names of places and objects.
As the condition develops, memory problems become more severe and further symptoms can develop, such as:
confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places
difficulty planning or making decisions
problems with speech and language
problems moving around without assistance or performing self-care tasks
personality changes, such as becoming aggressive, demanding and suspicious of others
hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) and delusions (believing things that are untrue)
low mood or anxiety
Read more about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease progress slowly over several years. Sometimes these symptoms are confused with other conditions and may initially be put down to old age.
The rate at which the symptoms progress is different for each individual and it’s not possible to predict exactly how quickly it will get worse.
In some cases, infections, medications, strokes or delirium can be responsible for symptoms getting worse. Anyone with Alzheimer’s disease whose symptoms are rapidly getting worse should be seen by a doctor, so these can be managed.