08 Sep Ten early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease 

Everyone forgets things. You misplace your keys, blank on a neighbor’s name, or walk into the kitchen and forget why you went in. That kind of forgetfulness is a normal part of getting older. But when memory or thinking problems start to interfere with everyday life — paying bills, following a familiar recipe, finding the way home — something more than normal aging may be going on. Knowing the 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease helps you tell the difference.

Alzheimer’s is one of the conditions our board-certified neurologists at LI Neurology Consultants regularly diagnose and treat. Below we walk through the 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in plain language, explain how each one differs from ordinary age-related change, and describe when you should schedule an evaluation.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that gradually damages and destroys brain cells, causing a slow decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills. It is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for a loss of thinking ability serious enough to interfere with daily life.

Two points matter up front. First, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging — most people live into their 80s and 90s without developing it. Second, “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s” are not interchangeable. Dementia describes the symptoms; Alzheimer’s is one specific disease that can cause them. Other conditions cause dementia too, and some memory problems come from causes that respond well to treatment, including thyroid disorders, vitamin B12 deficiency, medication side effects, untreated sleep apnea, and depression.

That’s exactly why a proper evaluation matters. Memory changes are a symptom, not a diagnosis — and finding out what’s actually causing them is the only way to know what you can do about it.

Normal Aging vs. Alzheimer’s: What’s the Difference?

Before going through the warning signs, it helps to know the pattern that separates typical aging from something more concerning. As a general rule:

• Normal aging: You forget something, then remember it later. You occasionally need a moment to find the right word. You make a mistake balancing the checkbook.
• Possible Alzheimer’s: The information never comes back. The person asks the same question again and again. Tasks they’ve done for decades turn confusing, or they abandon them altogether.

Direction matters just as much. Normal age-related forgetfulness stays roughly the same year to year. Alzheimer’s worsens over months and years — and family members, not the patient, often notice the pattern first.

The 10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

The Alzheimer’s Association identifies the 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease below. No one experiences all ten, and no single sign confirms a diagnosis — but each one deserves your attention.

1. Memory Loss That Disrupts Daily Life

The most common early sign is trouble holding on to newly learned information. Interestingly, memories from decades ago often stay sharp while a conversation from an hour ago vanishes. Watch for repeated questions, forgotten appointments and important dates, or growing reliance on sticky notes, phone reminders, and family members for things the person once handled alone.

2. Trouble With Planning or Solving Problems

Following a series of steps turns difficult. A recipe cooked for years suddenly doesn’t come out right, or the ingredients go in the wrong order. Monthly bills go unpaid, or someone pays the same bill twice. Working with numbers — a checkbook, a tip, a tax form — takes far longer than it used to, or the person avoids it entirely.

3. Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks

Routines that have felt automatic for years start requiring real effort. Driving to a longtime destination turns confusing. The rules of a favorite card game slip away. Operating the microwave, the TV remote, or the washing machine becomes a struggle. The distinction here: needing occasional help with new technology is normal, while losing the ability to do something you’ve done a thousand times is not.

4. Confusion With Time or Place

Losing track of dates, seasons, or the passage of time is a hallmark early sign. A person may not realize a holiday has passed, may lose all sense of how much time has gone by, or may forget where they are and how they got there. Getting briefly turned around and then figuring it out is normal; failing to work out where you are is not.

5. Trouble Understanding Visual Images and Spatial Relationships

Alzheimer’s can change how the brain interprets what the eyes see — even when eyesight itself remains fine. This may show up as difficulty reading, trouble judging distance or depth, problems telling colors or contrast apart, or misjudging the edge of a step or curb. Because this affects driving and raises fall risk, it deserves prompt attention.

6. New Problems With Words in Speaking or Writing

Conversation grows harder to sustain. A person may stop mid-sentence with no idea how to continue, repeat themselves within the same conversation, or struggle to name everyday objects — calling a watch a “hand clock,” for instance. Occasionally hunting for a word reflects normal aging. Frequently losing the thread of a conversation does not.

7. Misplacing Things and Being Unable to Retrace Steps

Everyone misplaces things. The difference lies in what happens next. Someone with Alzheimer’s often can’t reconstruct where they’ve been to find the item — and objects may turn up in genuinely unusual places, like keys in the freezer or a wallet in the pantry. As this worsens, a person may accuse family members of stealing, which ranks among the most painful early symptoms for a family to navigate.

8. Decreased or Poor Judgment

Decision-making shifts in ways that seem out of character. Common examples include unusual spending, falling for telemarketing or online scams, giving large sums to strangers, or a noticeable decline in grooming and personal hygiene. Anyone can make one bad decision; a pattern of judgment that no longer fits the person is the warning sign.

9. Withdrawal From Work or Social Activities

Many people sense that something is wrong before anyone else does — and pull back to avoid embarrassment. They drop hobbies, decline social plans, stop attending a longtime club or house of worship, and give up on following a conversation or a favorite team because it takes too much effort. Families and even physicians often mistake this withdrawal for depression, and the two can look remarkably similar. That overlap is one more reason a professional evaluation matters.

10. Changes in Mood and Personality

Alzheimer’s can bring confusion, suspicion, anxiety, irritability, or depression — sometimes in situations that never used to cause any distress. A change in routine may upset someone who never used to mind, and a person may feel uneasy anywhere outside their own home. Families often describe this simply as their loved one “not seeming like themselves.”

Why Recognizing the 10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease Matters

Many families wait — sometimes for years — hoping the symptoms reflect nothing more than stress or aging, or fearing that a diagnosis would only confirm bad news. But an early evaluation delivers real value no matter what it finds:

• The cause may respond to treatment. Thyroid problems, B12 deficiency, medication interactions, sleep disorders, and depression can all mimic dementia — and often improve once a physician identifies them.
• Treatments work best early. Available Alzheimer’s medications tend to offer the most benefit when patients begin them in the earlier stages of the disease.
• It buys time to plan. A diagnosis that arrives while a person can still participate in decisions lets them have a real say in their own legal, financial, and care planning.
• You can address safety sooner. Driving, medication management, and fall risk are far easier to handle before a crisis forces the issue.
• Families get support sooner. Knowing what you face connects you to resources and gives everyone a shared understanding of what’s happening. The National Institute on Aging offers free caregiver guides and planning tools.

When Should You See a Neurologist?

An isolated moment of forgetfulness during a stressful or sleep-deprived stretch usually isn’t cause for alarm. But schedule an evaluation if:

• You recognize any of the 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in yourself or a loved one
• Memory or thinking problems interfere with work, finances, driving, or daily routines
• Family members or friends have noticed changes, even if the person hasn’t
• Symptoms have gradually worsened over months rather than holding steady
• Personality or mood has shifted noticeably alongside the memory changes
• Your family history includes Alzheimer’s or dementia and you’ve begun noticing changes
• Memory concerns are causing worry, arguments, or safety problems at home

You do not need certainty that something is wrong before you come in. Ruling out a serious cause is a perfectly good reason to make an appointment.

When to Seek Urgent or Emergency Care

Alzheimer’s develops slowly, over months and years. Confusion or memory loss that appears suddenly — over hours or a few days — represents a different situation entirely and can signal a stroke, an infection, a medication problem, or another urgent medical issue. Seek emergency care immediately if confusion comes on suddenly or arrives alongside:

• Slurred speech or trouble getting words out
• Weakness, numbness, or drooping on one side of the face or body
• Sudden vision changes
• A severe, sudden headache
• Fever, or a recent fall or head injury
• Loss of consciousness

Don’t wait to see whether these symptoms pass on their own.

How LI Neurology Consultants Can Help

Memory loss, cognitive impairment, confusion, and dementia all appear on our list of conditions we regularly diagnose and treat. Our approach begins with pinpointing exactly what’s driving your symptoms, because that answer determines everything that follows.

What to Expect at Your Evaluation

Your visit starts with a detailed history. We encourage patients to bring a family member, because their observations often prove invaluable — they frequently spot changes the patient hasn’t noticed. From there, your neurologist performs a full neurological exam and reviews every medication you currently take, since drug interactions and side effects account for a surprising share of memory complaints.

Testing We Offer in Our Lynbrook Office

When testing makes sense, we perform it right in our office. Our neurological testing options include:

• NeuroTrax cognitive testing: A computer-based examination that assesses cognition, including memory. It requires no computer skills, our staff administers and guides you through it, and it typically takes 40 to 75 minutes. NeuroTrax gives us an objective measure of thinking ability rather than relying on impressions alone.
• MRI of the brain: Detailed imaging that helps identify or rule out other causes of memory change, such as prior strokes, a tumor, or fluid buildup. MRI does not expose patients to radiation.
• Additional testing as needed, including EEG, carotid and transcranial Doppler studies to assess stroke risk, and bloodwork that checks for reversible contributors like thyroid dysfunction or vitamin deficiency.

Building Your Treatment Plan

From there, we build a plan around what we find. That may mean treating an underlying condition, adjusting medications that cloud thinking, discussing FDA-approved Alzheimer’s medications and whether they suit your situation, addressing safety and fall risk at home, and helping your family understand what to expect and how to prepare.

Our board-certified neurologists have cared for Nassau County families since 1986, and we accept most major insurance plans. You can also review our patient forms before your first visit to save time at check-in.

Noticing any of the 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is frightening, and waiting rarely makes it easier. Getting answers does. If you or someone you love is showing these changes, our team can help you understand the cause and decide what to do next.

Call 516.887.3516 or request an appointment with LI Neurology Consultants at our Lynbrook office, open Monday–Friday 7AM–5:30PM and Saturday 8AM–4PM.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. The Alzheimer’s Association identifies the 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s disease listed above. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.