10 Dementia Symptoms and Signs to Look Out For
Have you been having a significant loss of memory that even made someone hint at you to see a doctor? Well, this could be a vital sign of dementia, where one develops a persistent disorder of mental processes when the nerve cells of the brain stop working, due to a brain disease or injury. Memory loss is not an automatic sign of dementia; hence you should visit a doctor to evaluate you for dementia signs and symptoms.
You need to have at least two significant impairments in your everyday life to get a dementia diagnosis. So, what signs and symptoms should you look out for?
1. Short-term Memory Loss
It is the most common symptom in dementia. Short term memory loss occurs when you can remember what you did three years ago, but can’t remember what you had last evening for dinner. You could also struggle remembering where you left personal items such as your mobile phone or house keys.
Furthermore, you even forget simple activities like what you were supposed to do later in the day. Sometimes, you may not be in a position to know where you are.
2. You Struggle to Find the Right Words
It happens when you have a difficult time trying to talk about something. You experience difficulties when communicating your thoughts. Because of this, one may have a hard time having a conversation with you as it will be challenging to follow your line of thinking.
Ultimately, the conversation will last for a long as you try to get your point home, to the inconvenience of the other person. Additionally, you will find it difficult to follow a storyline. For instance, your favorite television show becomes hard for you to comprehend.
3. You Develop Mood Swings
Another of dementia signs and symptoms is frequent mood swings. It may be difficult to point this out until someone tells you that you are moody and irritable.
You could also have a shift in personality, from being outgoing to being shy and introverted.
In severe cases, you could suffer from depression. Additionally, you may find yourself withdrawn from your social activities and develop a disinterest in interacting with people.
4. You Develop Confusion
When what was your norm no longer becomes familiar to you or something you can relate to, you are bound to get confused. Once you develop dementia, you may no longer remember people, your stuff, and even how to voice your opinions. More to that, you will tend to get confused about events that happened in the past, or those due to arrive.
5. You Struggle to Complete Normal Tasks
Before dementia, it was easy for you to do your usual activities like write down equations. With dementia, you may have a hard time comprehending what to do. Additionally, you may find it challenging to do other complex tasks, and even struggle how to learn a new concept or routine in doing things.
People with dementia may lose interest in performing tasks they previously enjoyed. For instance, if your hobby was fishing, you now find it to be an annoying activity.
6. You Develop Problems Writing
People with dementia develop writing problems. They forget how to spell words, punctuate sentences, and even have bad grammar. Worse still, they also develop poor handwriting, yet they wrote neatly before they acquired the condition.
7. Problems Comprehending Visual Information
Once you develop the disease, it becomes hard for you to read, approximate distances, and even differentiate colors. You could also have problems engaging in physical activities such as swimming, driving, or cycling. You develop a false sense of direction and fail to recognize familiar landmarks and routes you would take, for instance, when driving.
If you enjoyed driving before, you might now find it challenging. It is because you might have a hard time judging how far a car is from you to make a turn.
8. You Become Repetitive
It may happen in situations where you find yourself asking the same questions when having a conversation. Since dementia causes memory loss, you may find yourself doing the same task over and over again, such as doing the same laundry. Additionally, you can find yourself collecting stuff aimlessly.
9. You Struggle To Adapt To New Things
Once dementia sets in, you could develop a sense of fear and insecurity since everything that was once familiar to you becomes distant. Suddenly, you can’t remember people, how to express your thoughts, or even what you went to pick at the store.
When this happens, you might take comfort in routine, and hold on to what you can at least get right. Because of this, you develop fear, and will be afraid to try something new.
10. Difficulties in Planning or Solving Problems
You may find it hard to follow a simple plan, such as your activities for the day. Your decision making will also be affected as you will fail to realize what is reasonable. Unlike before, when you could quickly sum up your bills to make a payment, it now becomes an uphill task for you.
Managing Dementia Signs and Symptoms.
Once you are diagnosed with dementia, your doctor could recommend a variety of medications and memory exercises such as writing your routine in a journal. As the symptoms progress, you should consider joining a facility specializing in dementia such as Arthur’s Senior Care homes. The facilities are staffed by ACR, who was voted as the most ethical workplace in 2018 by the Star Tribune Top Workplaces survey.
The homes are located in Shoreview, Roseville, and Minnesota. They are surrounded by a pleasant ambiance of trees and wildlife. Besides, they are wheelchair accessible, with private bathrooms to complete each home.
Take Action against Dementia
Although the disease is not curable, seeking medical help at an early stage can help alleviate dementia signs and symptoms. Visit one of Arthur’s Senior Care homes to learn more about our high-quality dementia care. Our facilities have a team of highly trained staff and an in-house physician who is available to attend to clients 24/7.