As revealed by TV presenter Fiona Phillips this week, anxiety and brain fog could be symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – but people are being warned of another lesser-known symptom that could affect drivers the most.
It comes after the former breakfast TV host, 62, spoke publicly for the first time about her Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, which she received 18 months ago.
Phillips, who is currently taking part in a drug trial that is hoped could revolutionise treatment for the illness, said she wishes to end the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one of the symptoms that could be related to the onset of the disease is trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
It said: “For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. This may lead to difficulty with balance or trouble reading.
“They may also have problems judging distance and determining colour or contrast, causing issues with driving.”
This is not the same as having vision problems or changes related to cataracts, which is a typical age-related change.
Other early signs and symptoms highlighted by the organisation include memory loss that disrupts everyday activities, such as forgetting information that one only recently learned; experiencing challenges in planning or solving problems; having difficulty taking tasks that are usually familiar; and losing track of dates, seasons or the passage of time.
People living with Alzheimer’s may also develop new problems with words in speaking or writing, and may have trouble following or joining a conversation. Misplacing objects and losing the ability to go over their steps to find something is also a common sign of early disease, as is poorer judgement and withdrawal from work or social activities.
Phillips said she began to realise something was wrong when she developed “crippling anxiety” towards the end of 2021 and initially thought it was related to menopause.
She was put on HRT to treat menopause symptoms, which led to some improvement, however, Phillips’ “brain fog remained”, her husband Martin Frizell said.
After months of cognitive tests and a lumbar puncture to asses spinal fluid, Phillips was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
She told The Mirror: “This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me. And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it – it’s heartbreaking.
“I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future.”
She is taking part in a medical trial at University College Hospital (UCH) for a drug called Miridesap, which is administered three times a day with tiny needles. Scientists hope the drug can slow or even reverse the disease.
Phillips added: “There is still an issue with this disease that the public thinks of old people, bending over a stick, talking to themselves.
“But I’m still here, getting out and about, meeting friends for coffee, going for dinner with Martin and walking every day.”
In 2022, dementia and Alzheimer’s were named by the Office for National Statistics as the leading cause of death in the UK.
Last year, they accounted for 65,967 deaths, up from 61,250 the year before.
