Alzheimer’s or Normal Aging by Dr Darryl Addington, NSSAR Surgeon General

As we age, our memory gets worse. How is this different from Alzheimer’s? Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia with the most common symptom being difficulty in remembering things. People aging normally may forget things, they will remember later. People with Alzheimer’s will not remember later. People aging normally may need help with some tasks such as a computer problem. However, people with Alzheimer’s will have problems with normal everyday tasks, such as remembering how to drive home or to a familiar place such as the grocery store. People with Alzheimer’s may have a problem carrying on a conversation or forgetting the name of an object. People with normal aging may have a problem with the exact word. People with Alzheimer’s may forget something that was said to them just a few minutes prior. They may misplace things and be unable to find them and unable to retrace steps to find things. Normal aging may misplace things but can later remember their location or can retrace their steps to find them. If Alzheimer’s is suspected, the person should see their physician.