As a term that describes a variety of symptoms affecting a person’s cognitive functioning, including their ability to think, remember, and reason, Dementia tends to get worse over time. So, there are a few key early warning signs.
This disease occurs when nerve cells in a person’s brain stop working. Although Dementia typically happens in older people, it is not an inevitable part of aging. The brain’s natural deterioration happens to everyone as they grow older, but it occurs more quickly in people with dementia.
There are many different types of dementia. The National Institute on Aging says that the most common is Alzheimer’s disease. Other types include:
– frontotemporal dementia
– Lewy body dementia
– vascular disorders
– mixed dementia, or a combination of types
There are 5 typical early signs of dementia. For a person to receive a diagnosis, they would usually experience two or more of these symptoms, and the symptoms would be severe enough to interfere with their daily life.
These early signs of dementia are:
1. Clumsiness
People who develop early Alzheimer’s tend to have trouble with their coordination in relation to their peers. They develop a type of clumsiness that wasn’t previously there. You may notice yourself stumbling more often, your eyesight worsening, or even problems with spatial orientation, signifying early dementia.
2. Loss Of Skills Or Knowledge
It’s widely known that people with dementia can’t place names for ordinary household objects that they’ve been acquainted with their entire lives, but they also lose lifelong skills that were once ingrained in their memories as well. They may have trouble trying to write, speak, or do simple everyday math equations like arithmetic.
3. Inability To Pick Up On Sarcasm
The University of California conducted a study using MRI results from dementia patients that concluded that brain diseases that are degenerative can impact and prevent the ability of the person to pick up on lies as well as sarcasm. If you stop finding things humorous or have trouble determining deception, this can be one of your body’s early warning signal of dementia.
4. Consuming Non-Food Objects
One of the odder early warning signs of dementia can be the urge to eat items that aren’t food. You may notice an affected person becoming more likely to consume things that are completely inappropriate to ingest, coupled with a lack of desire to eat foods that are prepared for them. It’s common for people in the early stages of dementia to start eating things like bathroom soap, or even plants they find in public places.
5. Mood Swings
For people diagnosed with Alzheimers and types of dementia, mood swings can be found quite commonly. Although this is a symptom of many other disorders, it’s important to look out for. sudden mood changes. Other mood-related symptoms can include apathy, resistance against life changes, personality disorders and even emotional instability.
When to see a doctor
A person who experiences any of these symptoms or notices them in a loved one should speak to a medical professional.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it is a myth that cognitive functioning always gets worse as a person gets older. Signs of cognitive decline may be dementia or another illness for which doctors can provide support.
Although there is no cure for dementia yet, a doctor can help slow the progression of the disease and ease the symptoms, and so improve a person’s quality of life.
References: medicalnewstoday.com, apost.com