Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder named after Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's causes brain damage along with the breakdown of brain cells and memory loss. It is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is a very serious illness that affects one’s ability to think and perform daily life functions.

Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia. It accounts for approximately 50 to 80 percent of all Dementia cases. Alzheimer's disease gets progressively worse over time and the end result is fatal.

Although there is no prevention or cure for Alzheimer's, there is treatment for the illness. One new case of case is diagnosed in every 70 seconds.

There are five warning signs of Alzheimer’s you need to know.

1) Do you ask the same question over and over again?

2) Do you put things in unusual places?

3) Do you struggle to remember the words you want to say?

4) Do any of your parents have Alzheimer’s? There is a 40 to 60 per cent increased risk of Alzheimer’s if your parents have it.

5) Do you suffer from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol?

If you suffer from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, you have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. All of these affect blood supply and reduce oxygenation to the brain. The first and most important warning sign is memory loss, such as forgetting important dates and recently learned information.

The second most common warning sign is challenges when trying to solve a problem. The third warning sign is when familiar tasks start becoming unfamiliar. In this case, routine tasks such as remembering how to get to get to a certain location or remembering phone numbers becomes difficult.

The fourth warning sign is being confused about time and location. The fifth and final most important warning sign for the onset of Alzheimer's is trouble understanding pictures and other visual images. It is at this point that colours seem non-existent and the ability to differentiate between distance and physical objects becomes intricate.