Identifying Early Dementia

The World Health Organization estimates that fifty-five million people across the world live with some form of dementia, while a further ten million are diagnosed each year. Younger people can be affected by it, though typically people aged sixty-five and over are most likely to develop this condition.

Some forms are reversible, and most are debilitating, but all are manageable and life goes on after diagnosis. Obtaining an early diagnosis means that you can begin to understand the condition, and begin planning your life while knowing what to expect.

Defining dementia.

Dementia is a term that is used to describe a broad category of symptoms that negatively impact mental agility and social abilities. In other words, it is not a disease in itself, but various diseases may cause dementia. Chief among these is Alzheimer’s disease, but dementia may also stem from physical health issues, head injury, and degenerative diseases.

Dementia occurs when there is damage to the connections of nerve cells to the brain. Over time, these damaged connections may disintegrate entirely, causing noticeably impaired physical and mental functions. Occasionally you may experience a certain type of dementia that is caused by a negative reaction to a medication, for example. In cases like these, the dementia symptoms will improve with treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and can be passed down genetically. There are many different causes of Alzheimer’s disease, and not all of them are known. It has been proven that Alzheimer’s disease results in fibrous tangles occurring in the patient’s brain.

Besides disease, dementia can stem from infections, immune disorders, metabolic problems, endocrine abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, side effects from medication, brain tumors, and subdural hematomas. Each of these non-disease-related instances is treatable and even reversible, meaning that it is crucial to obtain an accurate medical diagnosis.

Noticing the signs of early dementia

It can be difficult to spot dementia, seeing as the symptoms may present themselves so gradually that they are often mistaken for natural aging. However, simply losing your train of thought regularly, or struggling to focus does not mean that you have dementia.

Besides memory and thinking, dementia can affect speech, motor abilities, reasoning, behavior, personality, and problem-solving ability. For a proper diagnosis of dementia, you must be experiencing at least two of these types of impairment. Here are some of the major symptoms to be aware of if you are looking for signs of early dementia.

Short-term memory loss.

Many people become more forgetful as they age. In moments of intense stress or anxiety, we may become more forgetful than usual. But dementia is often first noticeable in short-term memory loss.

You may find that you can remember what happened a year ago but cannot remember details from as recent as the morning or the day before. This will commonly affect your daily appointments, as you forget where you were supposed to be or why you were going there.

A decline in daily tasks.

As we age, it is common to become lethargic in performing daily tasks like laundry and cleaning. But for those living with dementia, their quality of life may rapidly decline as they entirely cease to perform any task related to cooking, cleaning, or personal hygiene.

They may no longer feed beloved pets or perform tasks they once loved like knitting or doing a daily crossword puzzle. If questioned about it, they may simply be apathetic about it. This may be a result of a loss of physical coordination, such as not being able to hold a pen, button their clothes or hold utensils for cooking or cleaning.

Impaired communication.

Even the most articulate person occasionally forgets certain words or loses track of the story they were telling. But when this becomes a frequent occurrence, it could be a warning sign of dementia. This, combined with an inability to follow or understand when someone is speaking to them or muffled, unclear speech is often a giveaway of dementia.

Slurred or slow speech and confusion are sometimes a result of a stroke, but this could also be connected to dementia and should not be ignored.

Changes in mood, personality, and behavior.

A person who had always been relaxed might become increasingly more anxious or aggressive when living with dementia. Depressive, apathetic, fearful, or emotional moods might be new to their character when dementia is present. Any surprising changes to their routine, outlook on life, or personality are indicators that something might be affecting their brain chemistry and that might be dementia.

Disorientation.

Forgetting that time or day is common to people of all ages, and even more so under stress or during sickness. But people with dementia begin experiencing confusion and disorientation regularly, which often has worrying consequences for their health and safety.

For example, a person might become lost in the supermarket with which they had always previously been familiar. They may forget the way home despite living in the same place their whole lives. They may confuse day with night, forget the season and appropriate attire, or repeat tasks, such as taking a medication for a second time after forgetting that they had already done that.

Diagnosing dementia.

Obtaining an early diagnosis of dementia could make a meaningful difference to your future. The place to start is with a visit to your General Practitioner (GP). Your GP can conduct several concentration and memory tests, consider your medical history and inquire about your family history.

If your GP is concerned about the possibility of dementia, he or she may refer you to a specialist such as a neurologist, geriatrician, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist. The specialist may want to perform more in-depth assessments.

Further assessments from specialists may include blood tests, a brain scan, and detailed memory tests. Obtaining all the necessary information may be a lengthy process that could take months. However, the doctors need to gain as much relevant information as possible to determine the most effective form of treatment.

Treatment can slow the progression of dementia. Depending on the type, treatment may even be able to reverse it. Treatment may be a combination of medication, cognitive training, and therapy.

Making positive changes.

Dementia is not always preventable, but there are steps that you can take at a young age that may control the risk of getting it. Risk factors that have been connected to dementia include the following:

• Cardiovascular diseases.
• Diabetes.
• Vitamin and nutritional deficiencies.
• Sleep apnea.
• Sleep aid medications that contain diphenhydramine or oxybutynin.
• Head trauma such as those experienced in contact sports.
• Smoking.
• Excessive alcohol use.
• Substance abuse.

These are not always instances that you can avoid, but they are issues of which you can be aware.

The simplest but most effective step to consider when trying to prevent dementia is implementing a physical regime and diet change. Research proves there is an increased risk of dementia in people who do little to no physical exercise.

Being active for an hour a week is enough to improve brain function and circulation. Monitoring alcohol intake, reducing consumption of sugary foods, and incorporating more grains, nuts, and seeds into your protein elevates brain health.

In conclusion, it pays to be aware of the risks and symptoms of dementia. Obtain a diagnosis as early as possible if you are concerned that you or someone you love is experiencing early symptoms of dementia.

Not all types of dementia are treatable or even avoidable, but there are steps that you can take from a young age that can impact your future. You may find that the type of dementia you are facing is reversible with treatment. Should you obtain a diagnosis of dementia, life goes on and you and your loved ones can be equipped to cope with it, come what may.

Further help.

Coping with dementia can be a terrifying prospect, whether it’s yourself or someone you love who is dealing with it. This is something that you do not have to do alone. At Redlands Christian Counseling, we can put you in touch with a counselor in California who can help you ease the prospect of coping with dementia by providing compassionate, informed, and professional support.

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