Could it be Alzheimers?

  Dear Doctor,
  I am a 64 year old retired veteran.
  Earlier this week I was driving from home to the local grocery store,
  waiting at the traffic intersection when I became completely disoriented
  and could not remember where I was or which way I should turn
  to get to the grocery store. I made a wrong turn and only remebered where
  I was after a few minutes despite having driven to the store thousands of
  times before.
  This was the second such incident in that week and I also had 2 other
  episodes 2 weeks ago where I forgot where I was completely for a few
  minutes.  
  I have never had any other neurological problems or head injuries
  and certainly never any memory problems. My family are now telling me that my reflexes
  are becoming slower and I take longer to do normal things.
  Could this be the beginnig of Alzheimers or something else?
  Is there anything I can do to prevent its development at an early stage?
  I appreciate your help - Thank you.
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Dear Jeff:
It may be a good idea for you to see a neurologist. Symptoms of intemittent topographical disorientation, or "getting lost", may occur with a wide range of neurological disorders that affect the higher functions of the brain. While Alzheimer's disease is one of the more common problems causing this in the elderly, it is a diagnosis of exclusion. Specially when symptoms are intermittent, other causes such as seizure disorder, vascular insufficiency, medical illness, and specially adverse effects of medications need to be ruled out by appropriate tests. A good neurological examination, and sometimes even a formal neuropsychological assessment, can go a long way in diagnosing the problem.
Good luck, and take care!