Can untreated illness mimic Alzheimer’s disease? Yes, several untreated medical conditions can produce symptoms like memory loss, confusion, and trouble with daily tasks that closely resemble Alzheimer’s, sometimes called pseudodementia or reversible dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is a common cause of dementia, which involves severe problems with thinking, memory, reasoning, and behavior that disrupt everyday life. But dementia is not just Alzheimer’s. Over 100 other conditions can lead to similar symptoms, and many are treatable if caught early.[1] For example, depression often causes brain fog, forgetfulness, and withdrawal that looks just like early Alzheimer’s. People with depression might forget why they entered a room or lose track of conversations, but unlike true dementia, they usually notice and complain about these issues right away. Depression’s memory problems can hit suddenly, while Alzheimer’s worsens slowly over years.[2]
Untreated sleep apnea is another culprit. When breathing stops and starts during sleep, it starves the brain of oxygen, leading to daytime confusion and memory slips that mimic dementia. Fixing it with a breathing device can often clear up these symptoms.[1] Thyroid problems, like an underactive thyroid, slow down the body and brain, causing foggy thinking and forgetfulness. Simple blood tests and hormone pills can reverse this.[1][3]
Vitamin shortages, especially B12 deficiency, harm brain function and create dementia-like fog. A shot or supplement often brings clarity back quickly.[1] Medication side effects play a role too. Some drugs for pain, allergies, or sleep build up in older bodies and cause confusion that fades once the medicine changes.[1] Delirium from infections or hospital stays brings sudden mental chaos that doctors can treat with rest and antibiotics.[1]
Heart failure, kidney disease, liver issues, and lung problems like COPD reduce blood flow and oxygen to the brain, sparking symptoms of dementia. Notifying doctors about these body-wide troubles before a visit helps rule them out.[1][3] Even excessive alcohol use or normal aging mixed with other health issues can fool tests into suggesting Alzheimer’s.[3]
Experts stress getting a second opinion and full checkups, including heart, lung, organ exams, and brain scans, to spot these mimics. Some cases labeled Alzheimer’s turn out treatable, improving life quality.[1] Glaucoma, which damages vision nerves, has links to dementia risks too, though its role is still under study.[4] Conditions like hypertension or diabetes, if unmanaged, may speed brain changes resembling Alzheimer’s.[3][5]
Diagnosing takes time because providers must exclude these other causes first. Blood work, brain imaging, and specialist input from neurology or psychiatry separate true Alzheimer’s from fixes like better sleep or mood treatment.[2][5]
Sources
https://alzready.com/alzheimers-start-here/get-a-second-opinion/
https://safesoundtreatment.com/does-depression-cause-memory-loss/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12751288/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251410501
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9170-dementia
