Am I having forgetfulness because of Alzheimer?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am an 18-year-old, and I have experienced forgetfulness ever since I was in elementary. I usually ace my tests because I have a very short term memory, so cramming often makes do. But, I often tend to forget things when my body takes the so-called auto-pilot mode. During these times, I tend to do things with me, not really focusing on doing it because I was thinking of something else. I cannot really recall what exactly happened in a day when nothing special has occurred. I often forget where I put things, even when they are already in front of me, or in my hand. I seem to misplace habitually and it has pertrubed my parents. Now I am wandering if these are early symptoms of Alzheimer's. Please reply, and if you want to ask questions about me,feel free.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms are not related to dementia or Alzheimer. At your age, considering the description of your complaints, I would think about aconcentration disorder (attention disorder). This could be related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anxiety. For this reason, I would recommend consulting with a psychiatrist or psychologist to help determine the right cause. It is also important checking complete blood count for anemia and thyroid hormone levels for thyroid gland dysfunction.