Dementia: 6 early signs of disease to watch out for and the order they may appear
DEMENTIA is an incurable disease that can slowly creep up on you.
The early symptoms are so vague that they can easily be dismissed as a normal part of ageing.
And because dementia affects people in different ways, symptoms may not always be obvious.
But failure to recognise early signs often leads to people not being diagnosed for several years.
While the disease cannot be reversed, a diagnosis as soon as possible has a number of benefits.
This includes making decisions on your future and taking advantage of resources while you are still able to.
Read more on dementia
The NHS says there are some common early indications of dementia, which might show some time before diagnosis.
Read on to find out what these are.
1. Losing track of money
Research has previously shown that issues with money management may show years before a dementia diagnosis.
For example, one study, led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that those diagnosed were more likely to have missed bill payments up to six years before being diagnosed.
They were also more likely to have subprime credit ratings up to two and a half years before diagnosis.
Another study by Duke University Medical Centre found that those with early signs of dementia in brain scans - who did not have a diagnosis - performed worse in financial tests.
Dr Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry and geriatrics and senior author of the paper, said: "There has been a misperception that financial difficulty may occur only in the late stages of dementia, but this can happen early and the changes can be subtle.”
There are a number of reasons why this symptom may appear.
It may be due to declining organisation abilities, overestimating finances or simply forgetting to pay a bill.
Money mismanagement has been seen more specific to Alzheimer’s disease, with the NHS saying “difficulty with numbers and/or handling money in shops” is a key symptom.
2. Memory loss
We all forget things as we get older.
It’s hard to know if you are just becoming forgetful due to ageing, or are potentially developing dementia, of which Alzheimer's is the most common form.
Most read in Health
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, said the key difference is memory loss and other symptoms impact daily functioning.
She explained that usually, if someone misplaces their keys, they are able to retrace their steps.
Katie told The Sun: “That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn't belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”
3. Confusion
Confusion is a key feature of dementia from the early days.
This may impact daily life, as it becomes harder to understand daily tasks, such as counting change when shopping.
The Alzheimer's Association says: “People living with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time.
“They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.”
It said it’s normal to get confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later on.
Examples of how confusion may present itself in the life of someone with dementia include: sleeping in the day and staying awake at night, getting ready for a social event on the wrong day, getting lost going somewhere they are very familiar with.
4. Losing sense of humour or sarcasm
As we age, we may become a bit grumpier or perhaps irritable when our usual routine is distrurbed.
But people with dementia may seem more fearful or anxious, which is compounded by symptoms such as forgetting where they are.
They may seem depressed or withdrawn, and have a lack of interest in hobbies they used to love.
They may be suspicious or angry because of their confusion, for example blaming somebody else for moving an item that they don’t remember moving themselves.
Katie Puckering, information services manager for Alzheimer's Research UK, said that losing the ability to understand a joke could be an early symptom of dementia.
She told : “If you find your sense of humour has changed significantly, it might be worth getting some medical advice.”
Dr Katherine Rankin, a neuropsychologist at University of California San Francisco, found that people with both frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease tend to have a harder time picking up on sarcasm.
Her research also found that people with frontotemporal dementia couldn't tell when someone was lying, although people with Alzheimer's disease could.
5. Struggling to find the words
We all have times when the words we want are “on the tip of our tongue”.
But the NHS says “struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word” is an early warning sign of dementia.
Someone with dementia who is having communication difficulties may have a puzzled expression on their face, or just nod or laugh instead of replying to a question.
They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue.
They may repeat questions or something they said 30 seconds prior. For example, they might retell a story to you as if you have never heard it, despite telling you 20 minutes ago.
Often people with dementia start using the wrong words for things, but this may not be obvious to begin with.
For example, they may describe an object, instead of calling it by its name. For example, they might call a watch a wrist clock.
6. Forgetting how to use things
People with dementia may find themselves unable to do things they’ve been doing every day for their whole lives, like button a shirt.
This is a side effect of losing coordination abilities.
Other examples include an inability to tie shoelaces, use cutlery or a jar opener.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
Oddly enough, people who lose the knowledge on how to use things may still seem very competent in other areas of their lives.
When people slowly use their coordination skills, as well as spatial awareness, they may be more accident prone and fall more often - another sign that could be mistaken for ageing.