Dementia is relentless. We all end up losing some of our cognitive functions, even if it’s just a little. When all these symptoms pile up, you might end up losing your mind, literally.
The thing with dementia is that it’s hard to detect when in its early stages, and even after detected, it’s hard to stop. This means reading early signs of the condition might be helpful. See if you have one of these dementia symptoms. If you do, talk to your doctor!
You Forget Your Loved Ones’ Names
Memory loss is one of the first signs of dementia, but don’t worry just yet; we all forget things, that’s normal. Only a handful of people around the world have perfect memory.
Still, we’re not talking about misplacing your keys, although we’ll talk about that below. We’re talking about forgetting things you really shouldn’t forget, like the names of your family members and close friends, a phone number you often dial or your address. That’s memory loss, and it’s a sign of dementia.
You Can’t Solve the Morning Crossword Puzzle
Solving problems is an essential survival skill that lets us live our lives normally. And we’re not talking about complex math problems but simple problems that perhaps you could solve quickly, and now you can’t.
Solving Sunday’s crossword puzzle, for example, shouldn’t be all that hard, but if you can’t seem to put your thoughts together, that might be dementia. Other problem-solving includes using the TV remote or simply turning on your computer. If you have a problem with these tasks, you might be at risk.
You Can’t Stay Calm
Mood swings and poor judgment are a sign of early dementia, and although we all have our bad days, if you lose your temper for no reason, perhaps start an argument with someone’s that’s trying to help, or just feel irritated all the time, there’s something wrong with your brain.
Not being in control of your emotions is not only frustrating; it’s dangerous for you and your loved ones. If you can’t keep your cool, you might be experiencing an early sign of dementia.
You Feel Someone’s Following You
Paranoia is not one of the first symptoms of dementia, but it’s one of the most common. It might not look like the paranoia you see on TV. Paranoia might not mean that someone feels they are being followed. It might mean that the patient feels someone close to him means them harm — even family members.
Paranoia can escalate quickly and can make a patient uncooperative. Luckily, this is not an early symptom, but you should still evaluate yourself and your loved ones to see if they’re a bit paranoid.
You Can’t Multitask
Multitasking is not easy. Still, we all do it — sending messages on your phone while catching up to your Netflix series and keeping an eye on your kid is a clear example.
The problem with dementia is that it affects our ability to do more than one thing simultaneously, preventing us from multitasking. This is particularly disturbing to people suffering from the condition, as they’re seen as slow and distracted. It turns out it’s not their fault; there’s something wrong with their brain.
You Lose Things
We all misplace our stuff. Hey, some of us lose our car in a crowded parking lot. The thing is, losing stuff too often means you’re losing your ability to remember the simplest things, especially the placement of everyday objects around the house.
Losing stuff might not be anything serious, but it might also be a sign of early dementia. If you’re unsure, try to see if the problem gets worse; if it does, talk to someone about it. The good news is that there’s medicine to treat some signs of dementia if detected early.
Dementia Is Tough, But You Might Prevent It
How to prevent and treat dementia is still unknown, but there’s a good chance enjoying a healthy lifestyle, including moving around a little and eating a healthy diet might help. After all, a strong and healthy body is better prepared to prevent deterioration, including brain problems.
If you think you’re not yourself recently or notice something wrong with your behavior, talk to a doctor, you might still be in time to treat dementia symptoms. You’re probably all right, but you want to check yourself out.
