Experts say it is important to seek
the advice of your doctor if memory problems are seriously affecting your
life. To determine if you
or a loved one has Alzheimer's disease, the Mayo Clinic
explains, “doctors conduct tests to assess memory impairment and other thinking
skills, judge functional abilities, and identify behavior changes. They also
perform a series of tests to rule out other possible causes of
impairment.”
During your appointment, the Mayo
Clinic says expect to be evaluated on:
·
Whether you have impaired memory or
thinking (cognitive) skills
·
Whether you exhibit changes in personality
or behaviors
·
The degree of your memory or thinking
impairment or changes
·
How your thinking problems affect your
ability to function in daily life
·
The cause of your symptoms
Tests include neuropsychological tests
that are used to access your abstract thinking, problem-solving skills, memory,
language usage and other related skills.
Your doctor may also schedule braining-imaging tests. While these brain scans are not used to
diagnose Alzheimer’s, they can detect other conditions such as hemorrhages,
brain tumors or damage from a past stroke.
They are also used to establish a baseline in terms of the amount of degeneration
seen on the scans.
Your doctor may also talk with your
family to learn more about the types of changes they have noticed and how they
have affected who you are now. All of the
information is then used to rule out other conditions such as Parkinson’s
disease, strokes, or depression that may be causing your symptoms.
It is understandable that people are
often afraid to go to a doctor once they suspect Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, many feel that since there is no
cure, what is the point? However,
doctors stress once you are diagnosed with the disease, you can start getting the
proper treatment as well as consider your care options and plans for the future.
This post is intended for informational purposes only. Please contact your health care provider with
any questions or concerns you have regarding your health.
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