Alzheimer’s is on the rise in the UK, with “the number of people with dementia in the UK is forecast to increase to over 2 million by 2051,” according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
With Alzheimer becoming so common, it’s important for us to know and recognise the symptoms of the disease.
According to the NHS, the early signs of Alzheimer’s tend to be:
- Forgetting events
- Misplacing items
- Forgetting the names and places and objects
- Having trouble thinking of the right words
- Asking questions repetitively
But there’s one symptom of Alzheimer’s disease that many people aren’t aware of, and it’s actually linked to driving.
How does having Alzheimer’s impact your ability to drive?
As Alzheimer’s is a neurological disease, it starts to cause a decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning. So it’s not unusual for those with Alzheimer’s to have trouble remembering a familiar route to a location when driving.
Additionally, some people with Alzheimer’s find it difficult to assess colour or contrast which can also be observed when driving.
“For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. This may lead to difficulty with balance or trouble reading. They may also have problems judging distance and determining colour or contrast, causing issues with driving,” the Alzheimer’s Association says. However, they said this shouldn’t be mistaken for cataracts which is common in aging adults.
Because of these factors, most people with Alzherimer’s disease will eventually have to stop driving when they get to the middle stage of dementia.
Confusing symptoms of Alzheimer’s with menopause
Some early signs of dementia can also be confused with menopause. Fiona Phillips is raising awareness of how Alzheimer’s disease and menopause share specific symptoms, following her diagnosis with the illness.
In a recent interview with The Mirror, the 62-year-old shared that she first sensed something was wrong in late 2021 when she began experiencing debilitating anxiety.
The former GMTV host and her husband, This Morning boss Martin Frizell, initially suspected it could be a symptom of menopause, and when she began HRT treatment, the medication relieved some of her symptoms. But her brain fog remained.
Brain fog – which is caused by hormonal changes – is a very common symptom of menopause, and women often say that their brains feel like ‘cotton wool’.
Paul Edwards, director of clinical services at Dementia UK, said that “for some women, dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms may develop at the same time as the perimenopause or menopause which can bring additional challenges when it comes to seeking a diagnosis”.