Dementia is the term for losing memories and mental abilities. The most common type is Alzheimer’s, but there are more than 10 other kinds, including Huntington’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. It can be caused by genes, or more preventable things, like a head injury or an infection of the immune system There is currently no cure, so it is important to recognize the symptoms of dementia early so the effects can be treated:
1. Memory loss
Memory loss is one of the main symptoms of the disease, so it makes sense that a loss of short-term memory would be one of the first symptoms, too. This shows up only in the short term. Often, a person with dementia will be able to remember an event that happened in their youth but not be able to remember what they ate for breakfast. It could also include forgetting appointments and constantly losing belongings. At first, this may seem semi-normal, especially if the person in question is older, but if it persists and gets worse, it is serious. For instance, forgetting what they had for breakfast may be normal, but repeatedly forgetting why they entered a room or never remembering breakfast is not normal. That is a warning sign of dementia. If someone close to you starts to forget small, recent events more and more often, consult with a doctor and consider bringing them in to check for dementia.
2. Speech issues
A person with dementia may also begin to struggle to communicate. The ability to speak is tied to memory; you have to remember words and their definitions in order to communicate ideas. As the brain physically changes in response to the disease, so do the pathways within the brain that control memory. If the pathways are broken, words can be ‘lost’, and a person may struggle to pick the right word. Conversations with a person with dementia may take longer than usual. They may struggle to find the right word, or use a word that doesn’t really fit in the context. They may feel frustrated and unable to express themselves accurately. If you feel a person close to you is experiencing this, try thinking critically about their talking skills a year or even half a year ago. If they have significantly decreased, consider visiting the doctor.
3. Confusion about time and place
As memory fails, spatial recognition goes with it. Spatial recognition is the ability to tell directions. This can cause a person with dementia to get turned around or lost more often.
A person with dementia can also get confused about the time they are in. As they continue to forget short-term events, they may think they are living from when they last remember. This can cause confusion when they don’t recognize the people around them. This ‘living in a different time’ can last for days or months. Dementia is unpredictable, and there is usually a chance for the patient to ‘snap back’ to the present day, but as the disease progresses, these good days are less and less common. If a relative starts getting lost more easily or fails to recognize the people they are close to, contact the doctor.
