two items or maintaining your balance. Additionally, you may have increasing trouble finding the right words for what you want to express and be unable to retrace your steps.
Signs The Disease Is Getting Worse
As the condition worsens, it’s most likely to affect your memory first. People in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease start to forget the names and faces of people they should be familiar with and are more likely to forget where they are or why they are in a particular place. They may have trouble sleeping, frequent mood swings, bouts of depression, and issues expressing themselves. Many of them develop paranoid delusions that make it impossible for them to trust others – even family members. They may also start having hallucinations.
In the later stages of the disease, the symptoms become more physical. You may have urinary and bowel incontinence, lose speech altogether, have trouble moving from one position to the other, have rapid weight loss, and have difficulty eating or swallowing.
By this stage, you may need a caregiver to ensure you’re taking care of yourself.
RELATED: Alzheimer’s Disease: Black Americans Are Hardest Hit
What Black People Need To Know
Though doctors don’t know why, Black people are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as other ethnicities. They’re also more prone to having severe symptoms.
Despite those facts, Black Americans are 35 percent less likely to be accurately diagnosed with the disease even when they have the characteristic symptoms. This makes it almost impossible for those with Alzheimer’s to get treatment for their early symptoms promptly.
It also doesn’t help that as much as 55 percent of Black Americans still believe that some of the early signs of Alzheimer’s are expected changes when aging even though 65 percent of them report knowing someone with the disease.
However, studies show that their experiences with medical personnel could play a role in why so many Black people don’t seek care. Almost 50 percent of Black Americans surveyed in recent studies said that they faced discrimination when seeking care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, only 20 percent said they had no trouble accessing healthcare for the condition and other chronic diseases.
Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that has been shown to affect Black Americans more than other ethnicities. However, medical discrimination and personal perceptions can make it difficult to get the necessary treatment. If you have any symptoms of the disease, it’s essential to get assessed as soon as possible – even if you have to see multiple doctors to be sure.