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| Dementia disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Cure (Shikha Goyal/JargonJosh.com) |
"I hate it when I walk into the bathroom and can't remember what I am suppose to be doing" - Alzheimer patient
Symptoms
Dementia most commonly develops at the age of 65 years and above and although its symptoms come at a gradual pace, which is often recognized by the person or a caregiver, some types of dementia do cause a significant amount of damage on the brain long before any signs of symptoms even appear. However, not everyone at the age of 65 years and above is prone to the disease; those as young as 50 to 64 years old are also at risk of developing dementia.
Dementia most commonly develops at the age of 65 years and above and although its symptoms come at a gradual pace, which is often recognized by the person or a caregiver, some types of dementia do cause a significant amount of damage on the brain long before any signs of symptoms even appear. However, not everyone at the age of 65 years and above is prone to the disease; those as young as 50 to 64 years old are also at risk of developing dementia.
As we now know, dementia can be quite tricky to detect and so it is advisable to have a checklist with you that can help you and your family to recognize the early signs of this neurodegenerative disorder.
To determine if a person may have dementia, he or she needs to have two or more of the common core indicators that do not dissipate even after being treated with medication:
- Memory problems
- loss of important details that are part of the daily routine of the person such as the name and address of family or friends
- repetition in speech, action, and tasks
- tend to be overlooked as the person will be able to remember memories from the far past but not in the present
- Changes in mood or behavior
- begin to withdraw from social gatherings
- seems to be easily irritated or agitated if taken out of the person's comfort zone
- mood swings from anger and fear to depressed
- difficulties in recognizing humor, and sarcasm
- Communication problems
- Forming sentences will begin to be a challenge
- Speech may appear to be gibberish
- The verbal and written language will be affected
- Communication begins to be complicated for both parties
- Poor decision-making
- Judgment and reasoning skills will begin to deteriorate such as falling for scams or acting on a decision that will be regretted later on
- Problem-solving skills will be affected such as what to do if a kitchen sink is clogged or someone is injured
- Trouble in routine tasks
- Simple tasks will be affected such as counting money or playing their favorite games
- Unable to recall where he or she has placed their items such as car keys, bags or mobile phones
- Confusion
- Disoriented in familiar environment
- Family and close friends names will be mixed up
- Unable to focus on simple tasks at hand
- Easily distracted
- Delirium and hallucination can take effect
Other symptoms include loss of motor skills that gradually affects their balancing skills which cause them to fall frequently. It may even be small symptoms such as forgetting to brush teeth, comb hair or even dress appropriately.
The Three Stages of Dementia
Early Stage of Dementia
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| Early Stage of Dementia (affordablepersonalhomecare) |
This may appear as simple and harmless as forgetting or misplacing certain items or names of family and friends or even walking into the toilet room and not remembering why he or she was in there in the first place. After all, aren't those at the age of 65 a little forgetful? Symptoms will vary depending on the type of dementia.
Middle Stage of Dementia
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| Middle Stage of Dementia (affordablepersonalhomecare) |
Also known as moderate-stage dementia. In these stages, the person will still be able to move about and live independently but may start to require the assistance of caregivers and family as symptoms will now be quite obvious to those around them. He or she will start to experience a certain pattern of confusion and disturbance in their routines such as dressing up or taking showers. Sleeping patterns will also be disrupted and will begin to sleep in the morning whilst being up in the night. Moods swings will now be common with the change of behavior. He or she may start to act irritable and suspicious of others; agitation and aggression may also come into play.
Late Stage of Dementia
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| Late Stage of Dementia (affordablepersonalhomecare) |
Also known as severe dementia or end-stage dementia. A brain scan will reveal that the brain has been significantly damaged and symptoms of dementia will now begin to affect the person in all area. Loss of motor skills such as swallowing and muscle weakness will now be more prominent. Simple tasks such as sitting or holding one's head may become challenging. Bowels and bladder control are often severely limited to the point of failure. Full-time care will be important to ensure safety and comfort for the person. He or she will also start to repetitively ask questions, get agitated easily, pace around restlessly and have an irregular and unusual sleeping pattern.
Learn more at https://www.dementia.org/signs-of-dementia-in-the-brain
References:
2017). Dementia: Symptoms, Stages, and Types. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142214.php
Top10HomeRemediesTeam. (2019). Dementia: The 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Dementia. Retrieved from https://www.top10homeremedies.com/news-facts/10-early-signs-and-symptoms-of-dementia.html
GreatSeniorLiving. (2019). Health and Wellness: Dementia. Retrieved from https://www.greatseniorliving.com/health-wellness/dementia
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