Experts have shared the early signs of dementia to look out for.
The cruel illness is more common in people over 65, but dementia can affect anyone of any age. Common symptoms include memory loss and confusion, but there are some signs that can appear a lot sooner.
The ECHO previously reported on a lesser-known warning sign that can show up in your eyes. A study from the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences found that retinal scans can detect key changes in blood vessels that may provide an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, which is a specific type of dementia.
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Stewart Mcginn, managing director at Baycroft Care Homes, has identified some of the early symptoms of dementia to look out for in an elderly family member. These signs may not always be obvious, but they serve as crucial markers for timely intervention and support.
These include misplacing items in strange places and difficulty focusing on tasks. He said: "One of the earlier symptoms an elderly family member may display when suffering from dementia is continuously misplacing things or placing items in strange places, such as the TV remote in the fridge or food items in with the cleaning products.
“They may also experience difficulty focusing on tasks that require organisation and planning due to Alzheimer’s disease, which causes dementia, affecting the hippocampus, which controls new learning and memories. With this being disrupted, it can be much harder to concentrate.
“Some of the more common or obvious symptoms include problems with language. Whilst everyone can forget the odd word from time to time, regularly struggling to remember words or substituting them in sentences with random words can indicate someone is suffering."
Another lesser-known sign is mood swings. Stewart added: This can be a person’s mood quickly changing from calm to angry or emotional without reason, or if they become generally more withdrawn or anxious.
"If your elderly family member is displaying signs of dementia, the recommended first step is to make a GP appointment. From then, the doctor will decide whether the patient needs to be referred to a specialist, including a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist or geriatrician.
"If your elderly family member struggles to come to terms with the diagnosis, or has any questions or worries that they want to be answered, there are a number of dementia charities and support lines that can comfort your loved one during this difficult time."
According to the NHS, different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way. However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear sometime before a diagnosis of dementia. These include:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- being confused about time and place
- mood changes
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