- 1). Ask a pharmacist if any medications you take cause memory loss. To know if you're losing your memory, you have to first make sure there is no external cause for cognitive problems. If none of the medications you take has memory loss as a side effect, more research is needed to find the reason behind memory loss.
- 2). Gage your level of awareness about memory loss. The Mayo Clinic states that people with normal age-related memory loss are usually aware they have a problem and just take a little extra time to do things, whereas someone with Alzheimer's will know something is wrong but not understand what, and be irritable and try to brush it aside. So if you are aware of the problem, memory loss may not be as bad as you think.
- 3). Get a physical to see if you have a treatable, less serious condition than Alzheimer's disease that is associated with memory loss. If such a condition is detected, treatment can be started to see if memory function improves. Once the condition is under control, if you still have problems, more tests should be conducted to know if you're losing your memory because of Alzheimer's or dementia.
- 4). Consult your physician, and ask to take tests and answer questions that rule out Alzheimer's disease. There are certain questions physicians ask that help determine if you have memory loss associated with Alzheimer's or dementia, rather than normal age-related memory loss. Some of the questions include: Do you repeat yourself often? Do you forget appointments or misplace items often?Do you get lost driving around your hometown?Can you still perform normal tasks such as balancing the checkbook?Has your attention span changed, and are you more irritable than before?For other common questions and tasks a physician might ask you to perform, see the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services reference.
- 5). Bring a family member to the appointment. The physician will most likely want another person's opinion to get a better picture of your condition. Bring someone who will be honest and forthright so the proper diagnosis can be made.
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