Yesterday, you forgot where you put your keys. Today, a word was on the tip of your tongue, and you just couldn’t come up with it. Last week, you met someone new and later couldn’t remember her name. In the back of your mind, you wonder, is your memory going? Are these symptoms of Alzheimer’s? What’s normal?

As we get older, memory lapses can become worrisome. The Alzheimer’s Association assures us that occasional lapses are normal. But if the memory loss is disrupting daily life, this could be a sign of Alzheimer’s.

It’s important to be evaluated early for Alzheimer’s because medication can help you maintain your mental functioning for a certain amount of time, says the National Institute on Aging. You may also be eligible for more clinical trials if diagnosed early.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s includes losing things or putting them in strange places, forgetting things you just learned and using words that sound like the ones you want. The Alzheimer’s Association gives the example of saying “hand-clock” instead of “watch.”

But memory loss that disrupts daily functioning is just one symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Other early symptoms include:

• Bad financial judgment or payment mistakes
• Shortened attention span or difficulty concentrating
• Getting lost easily going to familiar places
• Resisting change
• Problems organizing
• Asking the same thing repeatedly
• Becoming irritable, insensitive, angry or suspicious
• Not wanting to make decisions
• Visual problems, such as misjudging distance

This list is based on information from the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association. If you have concerns, see your health-care provider. This isn’t an exhaustive list, and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can also be symptoms of other things.

Research on Alzheimer’s disease is constantly progressing. You have options now that others didn’t have in the past. It’s important to get a correct diagnosis so proper treatment can start right away.