Here are 5 early warning signs of dementia

The term dementia describes a collection of symptoms that can affect someone’s memory, as well as their ability to process information and communicate with others. Though dementia leads to memory loss, the causes behind memory loss are different. Alzheimer’s disease is among the most common causes of a progressive dementia in older adults, but there are various causes of dementia. Depending on the cause, symptoms of dementia might be reversible. Symptoms vary between Alzheimer’s disease and other kinds of dementia, but there are similarities among them all. The most common signs of dementia include memory loss and a reduction in practical abilities, work or social activities.

If you think that these problems are affecting you on a day to day basis, or the life of someone you know, a doctor should be consulted in that case. Although dementia symptoms may vary because of the underlying cause, here are some key symptoms that are warning signs of this condition.

1. Memory loss: It is common to occasionally forget appointments, names of colleagues or a friend’s phone number only to remember them a while later. However, a person living with dementia forgets things pretty often or may have trouble in recalling the information that was recently learnt.
2. Difficulty in finding the right words: Another early symptom of dementia is facing difficulty in communicating your thoughts. A person with dementia may have a difficulty in explaining something or finding the right words for expressing themselves.
3. Language problems: Each one of us may struggle to find the right word sometimes, but a person with dementia forgets simple words or substitutes inappropriate words, making it difficult for others to understand their sentences. Also, they may have trouble understanding others.
4. Face challenges in solving problems: Some people living with dementia may face changes in their ability to develop a plan in working with numbers. They may face issues in following a familiar recipe or keeping track of their monthly bills. They may face difficulty concentrating on things.
5. Disorientation: A person with dementia may face difficulty in finding their way to a familiar place or they may be confused about where they are, or believe that they are back in some past time of their life.