There are many early warning signs of dementia, including how you sleep and your mood.
According to the NHS, dementia is not only about memory loss. It can also affect the way you speak, think, feel and behave.
Dementia is a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning and there are many different causes of dementia, and many different types. Alzheimer's however, is a progressive disease of the brain, slowly causing memory impairment and cognitive function issues.
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Common symptoms include memory loss, an impact to thinking speed as well as trouble speaking and understanding. There are eight main warning signs of dementia, which apply to all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's.
They impact memory, movement and thinking, the Mirror reports. You can find them all below.
Movement and motor control
Often, shaking is associated with Parkinson's, but those with dementia can also be shaky. Their hands may tremble, or they may shuffle when they walk. People could also walk much more slowly than usual and be more fragile or fearful of things such as falls.
Hallucinations
Dementia is often associated with visual hallucinations, such as seeing items, people, or animals that aren't there, but people may also experience olfactory (smell), auditory (sound) and tactile (touch) hallucinations as well.
Poor regulation of bodily functions
As we get older, biological functions can also be impacted by dementia, including sweating, pulse, blood pressure and digestion. Dementia comes in different forms and one, Lewy Body dementia (LBD) sees nerve cells in the brain impacted by Lew bodies. These control parts of the brain that are in charge of bodily function and can result in symptoms like constipation.
Sleep complications
One of the least recognised signs of dementia is complications with sleeping, which is often missed as we tend to be asleep during the time loved ones experience this symptom. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) can result in people acting out dreams as they occur. This can mean people end up sleepwalking and pose a very real danger to the person with dementia.
Attention span issues
People with dementia will often be seen staring into space from time to time and for long periods of time, they may appear to be 'zoning out'. People will also take long naps during the day and can also be highly disorganised in their speech pattern which can then become some of the easiest warning signs of dementia to spot.
Cognition problems
Similar to problems with the attention span, problems with cognition are often easier to spot as they are very noticeable issues with thought processes. It's one of the classic signs of dementia, people may not appear to follow any kind of local or sequential order when speaking, and may seem "out of sync".
Apathy
Apathy among older generations doesn't necessarily mean your loved one is suffering from dementia, but it can be a symptom to look out for. It can come from being aware they are nearing the final stages of their life, and this is normal is none of the other signs are present. But, severe apathy to the point of an almost catatonic state could indicate dementia is a risk.
Depression
Similarly to apathy, showing signs of depression may not indicate that a person has dementia. But, if someone has more than a few of the other warning signs, there is a possibility of dementia, with a risk Lewy bodies are affecting nerve cells in the brain.
Dementia
The NHS says: "Research shows there are more than 944,000 people in the UK who have dementia. One in 11 people over the age of 65 have dementia in the UK."
It's normal for your memory to be affected by stress, tiredness, certain illnesses and medicines. But if you're becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you're over the age of 65, it's a good idea to talk to a GP about the early signs of dementia.
More can be found here.
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