Doctor reveals little known symptom of Alzheimer’s to look out for after diagnosing himself with condition

A doctor was sure he was developing Alzheimer's due in part to a specific symptom years before he was officially diagnosed with it.

Former neurologist Dr Daniel Gibbs had spent years treating patients with Alzheimer's so he knew there was cause for concern when things started to change for him in his 50s.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the doctor explained that 'almost all people with Alzheimer's have at least some impairment of smell' but many people don't notice it as it happens so gradually.

The 74-year-old doctor said he realised he was losing his sense of smell when he was 55 which he knew was a possible symptom of Alzheimer's.

Knowing that it'd be too soon for another doctor to give him an official diagnosis, he instead referred himself for a genetic test, which would let him know what sort of risk he was facing.

Dr Daniel Gibbs was aware of a symptom of Alzheimer's years before his official diagnosis. (Dementia Researcher)

His results showed he was very likely to go on and develop Alzheimer's, leaving him 'stunned' - and he decided to study his family history to learn more.

Both of Dr Gibbs' parents had died of cancer while they were middle-aged, but as he researched further, he did find 'a family history of dementia'.

While he first started losing his sense of smell in his 50s in 2006, the 74-year-old was officially diagnosed in 2015 and told the Mail how he had managed to slow the impact of Alzheimer's on his mind.

Keeping himself physically active, the 74-year-old does 10,000 steps a day and does tai chi, saying that 'the sooner you start, the better' when it comes to lifestyle changes.

He added that what you eat was also important, as 'the data for adopting a plant-based diet are almost as strong as exercise', and suggested that people who had a family history of dementia could see about making the lifestyle changes before getting any sort of diagnosis.

The doctor said he'd been able to slow his Alzheimer's with changes to his lifestyle. (Getty Stock Photo)

It sounds like the doctor's advice is pretty close to the tenets of a healthy lifestyle anyway, and he said that adopting the right lifestyle changes might help slow the progress of Alzheimer's by between 30 and 50 per cent.

He's hoping that he'll 'die of something else before I reach the final stages of dementia', and said the smell he missed most was that of bacon in a frying pan.

He also dropped alcohol completely, and said he found that non-alcoholic beer tasted 'quite good', while he ensures that he regularly gets eight hours of sleep.

Dr Gibbs explained to the Mail that he tries to stay socially engaged, but that this has become more difficult as his Alzheimer's has progressed, and that he has more trouble with reading and numbers now.

He said: "I am still able to read, but I do better reading books with just a few characters because I can’t keep them straight.

"My wife Lois handles all the financial things now too. I can no longer balance a checkbook."