Dementia: Seven early warning signs to watch out for
OVER 225,000 people will develop dementia this year – that's one every three minutes. Being aware of the early signs of the disease can speed up treatment.
This Morning guest describes how her dementia began
Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK and symptoms vary from person to person.
One in six people over the age of 80 currently have dementia, but the most obvious signs of the disease, such as memory loss and disorientation, aren’t usually the first symptoms to arise.
It is important to keep an eye out for less-obvious signs of cognitive decline, as being diagnosed early makes treatment easier and more affective, and gives the patient the care and support they need.
Dementia is classified into four categories: Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The Alzheimer’s Society lists distinct early signs of each of the four types.
Increased confusion
Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are often attributed to normal ageing, such as struggling to find the right word or losing items around the house.
Related articles
A sufferer might often have trouble taking in new information and remembering times and dates.
Reduced concentration
If a person has trouble concentrating for any length of time, it may be an early sign of vascular dementia.
They might also have issues with planning, such as following the steps of a recipe.
Trouble seeing things in 3D
Vascular dementia patients often have issues with their visuospatial skills – trouble perceiving objects in three dimensions – before other symptoms arise.
Disturbed sleep
Dementia with Lewy bodies typically shows up with sleep problems and visual hallucinations (seeing things that aren’t really there).
Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are often attributed to normal ageing
Parkinson’s symptoms
Lewy bodies dementia sufferers may have problems with stiff limbs and movement, such as those seen in Parkinson’s disease.
Change of personality
One of the first signs of frontotemporal dementia is doing things out of character, becoming suddenly rude or impulsive, for example.
Withdrawal or depression
Another early sign of cognitive deterioration is apathy or withdrawal, with the person no longer interested in hobbies, spending large amounts of time starring at the television or sleeping.
They may also lose their train of thought and show signs of depression.
Alzheimers Research UK says that looking at five categories – motivation, mood, impulse control, social appropriateness and psychosis – can be helpful in identifying possible early symptoms.
In the initial stages, changes in mood might be subtle, as a person becomes more irritable, suspicious or agitated.
Due to the ageing population, the number of UK people with dementia is set to soar to over one million by 2025. Over 225,000 people will develop dementia this year – that's one every three minutes.
A 15-minute written test can indicate if someone is displaying early signs of cognitive decline.
The SAGE test is made to be completed several times, often over the course of many years, to highlight any changes before other symptoms might become obvious.
