Alzheimer's Disease in Spanish

What it means

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects thinking and memory skills. AD begins slowly over many years and first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. It is not a normal part of aging, and symptoms get worse over time. People with AD may have trouble remembering recent events or the names of people they know; other symptoms can include getting lost in familiar places, repeating the same question, and not recognizing family members. Most people develop the disease at age 65 or older. Researchers don't fully understand what causes AD. No treatment can stop the disease, although some medicines may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time.

Spanish term: Enfermedad de Alzheimer
Gender and article: feminine: la enfermedad de Alzheimer
Pronunciation: en-fer-meh-DAHD deh ahl-SAY-mer

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
Alzheimer	General	Short form; MedlinePlus en español uses it on its own, with the masculine article (el Alzheimer).
mal de Alzheimer	General	Name used in the title and opening sentence of the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article.
demencia de Alzheimer	General	Given as another name by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary.
demencia senil de tipo Alzheimer (DSTA)	General	Listed by MedlinePlus en español under 'Nombres alternativos' in its encyclopedia article.

Enfermedad de Alzheimer is the full name on MedlinePlus en español and in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, and it takes the feminine article: la enfermedad de Alzheimer. The same MedlinePlus en español page also shortens it to Alzheimer alone, and then the article is masculine: El Alzheimer comienza lentamente a lo largo de muchos años. For "if you have Alzheimer's" it writes si tiene Alzheimer.

Other names appear in the same sources. The MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article says mal de Alzheimer and lists demencia senil de tipo Alzheimer (DSTA) among its alternative names. The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary adds demencia de Alzheimer, and its English entry says "Also called Alzheimer dementia". Nearby words on the MedlinePlus en español page are demencia (dementia), deterioro cognitivo leve (mild cognitive impairment, which causes more memory problems than normal for people of the same age) and neurólogo (neurologist, a specialist in diseases of the brain and nervous system).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My mother repeats the same question many times a day.	Mi madre repite la misma pregunta muchas veces al día.
Clinician	Has she gotten lost in places she knows well?	¿Se ha perdido en lugares que conoce bien?
Patient	Yes, last week she could not find her way home from the store.	Sí, la semana pasada no pudo encontrar el camino de la tienda a la casa.
Clinician	Does anyone in your family have Alzheimer's disease, or has anyone had it?	¿Alguien de su familia tiene la enfermedad de Alzheimer, o alguien la ha tenido?
Clinician	I am going to do some tests to check memory, thinking, and problem-solving skills.	Voy a hacer unas pruebas para evaluar la memoria, el pensamiento y la capacidad de resolver problemas.
Patient	I have noticed changes in my own memory, and I am worried.	He notado cambios en mi propia memoria, y me preocupa.
Clinician	Please bring a list of all the medicines she is taking.	Por favor, traiga una lista de todos los medicamentos que ella toma.
Clinician	I am going to give you a referral to a neurologist.	Voy a darle una derivación para un neurólogo.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Alzheimer's Disease
Spanish (Español)	Enfermedad de Alzheimer
Chinese (中文)	阿茲海默症
Korean (한국어)	알츠하이머병
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bệnh Alzheimer
Filipino (Tagalog)	Sakit na Alzheimer
Portuguese (Português)	Doença de Alzheimer
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคอัลไซเมอร์
Japanese (日本語)	アルツハイマー病

Where you'll see it

chartEOBreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: G30 → Alzheimer's disease

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Brain and nerves

All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.