Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking
abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia.
Dementia is not a single disease; it’s an overall term — like heart disease — that
covers a wide range of specific medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Disorders grouped under the general term “dementia” are caused by abnormal brain changes.
These changes trigger a decline in thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities,
severe enough to impair daily life and independent function.
They also affect behaviour, feelings and relationships.
Here are 10 early symptoms of dementia
1.
Struggling to adapt to change - The early stages of dementia can cause someone to experience
a lot of fear, all of a sudden they can’t remember the people they know or they can’t
remember why they’ve just left their house.
Because of this they might crave routine and be scared to try new experiences.
2.
Repetition - Reception is common in dementia because of memory loss, the person may repeat
daily tasks or collect things obsessively, they may also repeat the same questions over
and over again.
3.
Failing sense of direction - Someone with early stages of dementia might not recognise
once familiar landmarks and often forget directions.
4.
Struggling to follow story lines - This is a classic early symptom, people with dementia
sometimes forget the meaning of words they hear or struggle to follow along with conversations
or tv programs 5.
Confusion - Someone in early stages of dementia may often become confused, they may misplace
their car keys or have difficulty remembering someone they’ve met before
6.
Difficulty completing normal tasks - Someone in the early stages of dementia might struggle
to complete normal or familiar tasks and they may struggle to learn how to do new things
or follow new routines 7.
Apathy - Someone with dementia could lose interest in hobbies or actives, they may not
want to go out anymore or do anything, they also may loose interest in spending time with
friends or family, they may also seem emotionally flat.
8.
Changes in mood - Changes in mood is common with dementia, depression for example is typical
of early dementia, along with mood changes you might also see a shift in personality.
9.
Difficulty finding the right words - Another early symptom of dementia is struggling to
communicate thoughts, someone with dementia might have difficulty explaining something
or find the right words to express themselves 10.
Short term memory changes - Trouble with memory can be a early symptom of dementia, the changes
are often subtle and tend to involved short term memory, someone who is older with dementia
might be able to remember things that happened years ago but not what they had for breakfast.
Dementia is more common in people over the age of 65 but it can also affect younger people
too, early onset dementia can begin when people are in their 30’s, 40’s or 50’s.
Just because someone is forgetful or has memory problems doesn’t automatically mean they
have dementia, with that being said you should never ignore any symptoms you or someone you
know might be experiencing.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a number of dementia symptoms
that are not improving please talk with a doctor.