Five warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - How good is your memory? Are you showing signs of Alzheimer's?

"Every time I forget someone's name, or if I change rooms and I forget where I was going, I’m terrified for an instant that I have Alzheimer’s,” said Shannon Seitz.

Seitz watched her mother fall victim to Alzheimer’s. Now she's worried about losing her mind.

"That’s very frightening," she said.

Here are five red flags of you possibly having Alzheimer’s. First, do you ask the same question over and over again?

"If it's worrying you, if other people are commenting on it, that might be a time to check with your doctor,” said Geriatric Psychiatrist, Gary Small, PhD.

Next, do you put things in unusual places?

If you're forgetting everyday things that you really should remember, Small considers that a warning sign.

Third, do you struggle remembering the words you want to say?

Warning sign number four, genetics. The National Institutes of Health report you have a 40 to 60 percent increased risk of Alzheimer’s if your parents have it.

Number five, 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.

"Don’t overeat. If you're carrying around too much weight, you're at increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes which are weight related illnesses that can affect your memory,” Small advised.

One simple recall technique is look-snap-connect. It means focus, create a mental picture, then connect the pictures together. If you've got trouble with this, you may need to start sharpening your mind, in order to save your mind.