Can Alzheimer's come on suddenly?

Alzheimer’s is a diagnosis we all hope we never receive. The mere thought of losing our memory and other mental functions can feel overwhelming. As we get older, we have moments where we forget where we parked the car, can’t find our keys, or don’t remember a conversation we had with someone; and this scares us. We worry if we suddenly have Alzheimer’s. We wonder if it would happen this quickly or if we had symptoms for a while. The truth is, Alzheimer’s symptoms can come on suddenly or gradually, and it gets worse over time. There is more to diagnosing Alzheimer’s than just forgetting things now and then. To determine if we have symptoms of Alzheimer’s, we need to watch for memory loss, losing grip on reality, cognitive function changes, and problems with everyday activities. 

MEMORY LOSS

Memory loss in Alzheimer’s is the inability to retain new information all of a sudden. We forget recent events, new conversations, and recent behaviors and actions. Signs of memory loss are asking the same questions more than once or depending on devices and others as memory aids. 

REALITY ISSUES

If we are experiencing Alzheimer’s symptoms, we may suddenly become paranoid and suspicious of others. Sometimes the changes to the brain from Alzheimer’s can cause delusions, beliefs that don’t conform with reality. For example, misplaced items will seem like they were stolen, or if the information is misconstrued, it will feel like being lied to. Hallucinations, perception of having seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled something that wasn't there, are symptoms.

COGNITIVE CHANGES

Sudden onset of Alzheimer’s will affect our ability to think, make decisions and understand. The cognitive skills will be slower than usual. Social skills begin to worsen, and we can become confused with time and place. There also may be sudden mood and personality changes that family and friends observe. 

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

Normal daily activities become a challenge, and we have more experiences of clumsiness. To hide these changes from loved ones and make it appear to the outside world as everything is alright, we abandon hobbies, social activities, and other engagements. Sudden symptoms of Alzheimer’s are terrifying, and admitting it is happening can be the most challenging thing in the world.