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sensitivity extremes

NYCheryl
NYCheryl Member Posts: 6
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in Caring For a Spouse or Partner

Does anyone experience LO being overly sensitive to things like light, noise,temperature?

My DH complains when I get a pan out of cupboard that I am making too much noise. He gets upset when lawn guy runs the mower or blower. Everything is too bright, too loud, too hot, too cold when they are not that bad.

Thanks for input

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  • midge333
    midge333 Member Posts: 368
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    "Everything is too bright, too loud, too hot, too cold when they are not that bad."

    My DW has these same symptoms, especially bright lights. When we get in the car she is freezing and several minutes later she is insisting I turn off the seat warmers because she is too hot.

    You are not alone…

  • Aarron
    Aarron Member Posts: 14
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    all the above and too many people talking or the grandkids goofing off. Their brains don’t function anymore like ours.

  • fmb
    fmb Member Posts: 493
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    Oh yes, especially loud noise. DH never really tolerated much noise, but it was especially bad in Stages 5-6. Now that DH is in Stage 7 he does not seem to be as distressed.

    I do think it has to do with the breakdown of the brain, as all the senses are affected to one extent or another. Vision is distorted or blind areas appear, sound seems magnified and distorted, smell is lost, taste is lost or distorted, and touch is affected (everything is too hot/cold, scratchy, tight, etc.).

  • cdgbdr
    cdgbdr Member Posts: 92
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    Everytime there is a sound I hear "what' that?" Drives me crazy sometimes.

  • harshedbuzz
    harshedbuzz Member Posts: 4,663
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    I found my dad reminded me of my son's sensory processing issues when he was younger. DS has ASD.

    Light, texture (of food and clothing), and temperatures were a problem for him. Sound, not so much because of his hearing loss. It was generally worse later in the afternoon/evening during sundowning.

    That said, one of dad's mixed dementias is associated with the region of the brain that maintains body temperature. Being cold all the time is one of the symptoms associated with it.

    HB

  • trottingalong
    trottingalong Member Posts: 470
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    temperature is a very difficult thing for my DH. It’s like his body doesn’t regulate itself correctly. Cars driving by our house are too loud and too fast. He itches a lot. Seems to be cyclic but I don’t know what triggers him to start scratching his torso.

  • jsps139_
    jsps139_ Member Posts: 238
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    Noises are the worst for my DH. He turns the TV off every time I walk out of the room. He would rather sit in silence and look out the window.

  • annie51
    annie51 Member Posts: 194
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    With my DH, I have seen increased sensitivity to loud noises, heat and cold, and my driving speed (lol!). The skin on his back is sometimes hypersensitive to touch or gets very itchy - I’ll just touch it and he cringes. I don’t know if this is a result of the dementia or if it’s a unrelated nerve issue.

  • tigersmom
    tigersmom Member Posts: 226
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    My DH was very sensitive to noise. One of his earliest symptoms was watching TV with the sound off. As early as stage 4/5, he also became very sensitive to textures in food and clothing. If a fleece jacket had zippered pockets, he wouldn’t wear it.

  • annie51
    annie51 Member Posts: 194
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    https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/231148#Comment_231148

    Same here! The ice maker. The dishwasher (all through the cycle). The dryer. A car door outside. And on and on.

  • Carl46
    Carl46 Member Posts: 343
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    Yes. Noises, bright lights, noisy restaurants with many people talking. Toast hurts her mouth, so I trim the crusts.

  • CindyBum
    CindyBum Member Posts: 310
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    Oh yeah. I would guess that I hear, "What was that?" 10-15x a day. She's always plugging her ears for trucks or other "loud" noises. It can be so annoying.

  • NYCheryl
    NYCheryl Member Posts: 6
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    Thank you all for your comments. It is good to know that this is part of the disease

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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