Memory loss, word confusion, and difficulty concentrating can be a normal part of getting older.
But they could also be a sign of dementia – the memory-robbing condition that ravages nearly 1 million Britons and 7 million Americans.
In addition to memory loss, dementia can also affect the way a person speaks, thinks, feels and behaves.
MailOnline spoke to experts from Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society to explain how to differentiate the symptoms of the condition from the normal signs of ageing.
Memory loss, word confusion, and difficulty concentrating can be a normal part of getting older
But they could also be a sign of dementia – the memory-robbing condition that ravages nearly 1 million Britons and 7 million Americans
Memory
Memory slips are a nuisance that affects everyone at some point.
But their frequency and severity are important signs of whether they could be a symptom of dementia, experts say.
Common signs of aging include forgetting something you were told a while ago, occasionally losing items like your cell phone, or taking longer to work out new tasks like setting up and using a new device .
But possible signs of dementia include “getting lost in their own home” or “going out in very familiar places and getting lost again,” Paul Edwards, director of clinical services at Dementia UK, told MailOnline.
“And that’s usually something very different from how the person was before,” he added, “it’s something very different and very clear.”
Jaina Engineer, knowledge services manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, told MailOnline: ‘Problems with memory or thinking can be an early sign of dementia. However, as life gets busier, it could also just be a sign of stress or getting older.
“Many of us begin to forget details that were told to us some time ago. But a person with dementia often forgets things they have just been told,” she said.
“They may ask the same question over and over, like “are the doors locked?” or “what time are we leaving?”.
They can also place objects in unusual places.
Ms Engineer added: ‘For someone with dementia, familiar tasks they’ve done all their lives – such as getting dressed or browsing TV channels to find their favorite soap – can become difficult to do.
“They may also lose the ability to complete tasks in the correct order, such as trying to cook pasta on the stove before putting in the water.”
For a doctor to diagnose someone with dementia, their memory loss must be more common and have a significant impact on daily life, she noted.
‘When we talk to families, they tend to notice a change in things for about six months, usually before going to the GP,’ said Mr Edwards.
“And it just won’t seem to go away, and it seems to be getting a little worse.”
Language
It’s not uncommon to have trouble finding the right words to say or struggle to keep up with conversations.
“There may be times during a conversation when you get distracted or start sinning – while it might make you blush a little, that’s not necessarily a sign that something’s wrong,” Ms Engineer said.
But if you consistently forget the names of common objects, often struggle to find the right word or quickly lose track of what someone is saying, these could be signs of dementia, she cautioned.
“Where someone would have listened and engaged and tried to understand something, that ability sometimes disappears or gets progressively worse over time,” said Mr Edwards.
He added, “Word finding problems are quite a strong trait in some people with dementia.
“You will see people describe a situation or an object or an animal or something like that with a different word.”
Mood and behavior
No one expects to feel positive all the time.
But if someone starts to become irritable quickly or experiences extreme highs and lows, these could be signs of dementia, Ms Engineer and Mr Edwards warned.
madam engineer said: ‘The symptoms of dementia can make a person more withdrawn from work, friends or family.
‘Dementia makes socializing with other people much more difficult and tiring, and can also seriously affect a person’s self-confidence.’
As it becomes more difficult to follow conversations, “especially in noisy environments,” it can be tempting for people with dementia to stay home, she added.
Unusual behavior that occurs out of context, for example in those who were previously shy about losing this filter, or leaving the house in the cold late at night without reaching for their coat and shoes, are also possible signs, Mr. Edwards to MailOnline.
People can often become frustrated with themselves and with others “because it’s much more difficult to access the same world as other people,” he added.
“So we see people get angry and frustrated and agitated because they can’t function like they used to.”
Ms Engineer noted that there are ‘many reasons’ why mood swings occur unrelated to dementia and urged people with these symptoms to see their GP.
Vision
Recent studies have shown that eye health problems can significantly increase the risk of dementia.
Jaina Engineer, said: ‘It’s completely normal that your eyesight isn’t as sharp as it was when you were younger – maybe you need more light to read things properly or you rely more on your glasses.’
But people with dementia can have trouble processing and distinguishing between different colors, misinterpreting patterns and reflections.
“This is because your eyes send messages to your brain so that they can understand what they see, but dementia causes these messages from the eyes to the brain to become distorted,” she said.
Mr Edwards said: ‘People often struggle with things like really glossy floors, where there’s a bit of glare, and there’s a bit of a reflective image that can sometimes look like water.
“Very often for people with dementia, when they sit down and eat, they may not see the whole thing, but only half of the plate.”
Certain forms of dementia can sometimes even cause hallucinations or see, hear or smell things that are not there.
“This is most common in people with dementia with Lewy bodies, a less common form of dementia. However, other forms of dementia can also cause hallucinations at a later stage,’ said Ms Engineer.
Focus and decision making
We all tend to lose track of time, especially when we are busy or stressed.
Occasionally making decisions without thinking them through, or finding it harder to handle multiple tasks at once, are common signs of aging.
But if you find yourself getting lost in a familiar place or can’t find your way home, it could indicate possible signs of dementia.
‘Sometimes that ability of people with dementia can change, so people’s ability to understand something and make judgments about it can be more limited,’ said Mr Edwards.
Ms Engineer added: “If a person finds themselves making a lot of decisions without thinking about them – either because they can’t process information the way they used to or because their personality seems to have changed rapidly – it could be a sign that they need to see their doctor to get checked out.
“A decline in being able to make informed, careful decisions can have very serious consequences for the person and those around them, especially when it comes to money or personal safety.”