Patriot Health Digest
Dementia is one of the most highly feared circumstances of getting older. And it’s becoming more common. But as people say, knowledge is power—and it’s also the case with this disorder. Even though dementia is classified as a progressive disease, and there’s not a cure at the moment, recognizing it in the early stages will give doctors the opportunity to slow its progression down and extend the patients quality of life. The way to detect the disease early is by recognizing one of the main symptoms.
Dementia is the word used to describe a lot of disorders that affect a person’s thinking, memory, and personality. Which interfere with a person’s ability to live normally. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Around 5 million people in the US are affected.
That number is about 50 million people worldwide. It is expected to triple by the year 2050, this is because of population aging and people are living longer.
Memory issues are usually among the first signs of dementia. A person with dementia might forget where they placed certain objects, such as their keys.
Everyone misplaces things from time to time. But what is different from normal forgetfulness and that caused by dementia is the capability to retrace your steps in order to find the missing things. When you start to lose that ability, it may be a sign of dementia.
“Someone living with Alzheimer’s might place things in weird places,” stated by the Alzheimer’s Association of America. “They may misplace things and may accuse other people of stealing them, especially in later stages of the disease.”
Scott Kaiser, MD, says some other symptoms of dementia may include:
- Visual/spatial problems, such as getting lost while driving
- Difficulties, such as not being able to find the correct words when communicating
- Trouble completing mental tasks and solving problems
- Problems with walking or coordination
- Difficulty planning and organizing
- General confusion
- Personality changes, such as anxiety, depression, or mood swings
If you or you know someone experiencing any of these symptoms, “It is very important to seek medical treatment to identify your concerns and address them,” says Kaiser. “There are a lot of conditions and other factors that may cause reversible memory loss.” These may include stress, insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
