At the age of 46, Kris Bakowski was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Kris has been blogging about her diagnosis since 2003 to advocate for awareness and help educate others living with the disease and their caregivers.

In one of her blogs, Kris discusses the topic of sensory overload. Since her diagnosis, she has been prone to panic attacks when faced with overstimulation, crowds of people, or noise. According to Kris, “(n)oise is one of my biggest problems. I carry earplugs with me all the time. I cannot filter out noise very well, so it is very hard for me to be in a car with the radio on or with several people talking at once. I cannot concentrate with the noise.”

Sensory Overload Was One of Her First Symptoms

One of Kris’ first symptoms of Alzheimer's was not being able to follow conversations in meetings because there were too many people talking or extraneous noise in the room. She realized that she could not filter it out, that she was in sensory overload.

When she attended an Alzheimer's luncheon for those in early-stage Alzheimer's and their significant others, the noise in the room was so overwhelming that she felt almost claustrophobic. The same thing happened at a luncheon with some close friends. She realizes that she can’t socialize in this manner anymore, and is sad she has to give up something that used to bring her joy, but now makes her feel confused and agitated.

The Impact of Noise on People with Dementia