As the population ages, more people are living longer and experiencing loved ones suffering from declines in mental and physical function, so it's important to be aware of the warning signs of dementia.
As our population ages, more people are living with conditions like dementia, but there's one little-known warning sign some people may notice: It's on their hands.
A decline in mental and physical function is expected as we age, and it can be difficult to watch a loved one decline. Spotting the early signs of dementia can help give you or your loved one time to prepare for decline in mental function, but if you're not sure if your loved one has dementia, They can be difficult to care for.
Because dementia is a syndrome, not a disease, it is a common misconception that Alzheimer's disease and dementia are the same thing. While Alzheimer's disease is a disease, dementia is a group of symptoms without a definitive diagnosis that affect mental functions such as memory and reasoning.
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Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, is a progressive brain disease that slowly causes memory loss and cognitive problems. Alzheimer's disease may require medical care beyond that required for dementia and is classified as a 7-stage terminal disease.
Dementia warning signs
There are eight major warning signs of dementia, and these apply to all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. They affect memory, movement, and thinking.
movement and motor control
One of the most common dementia symptoms is loss of motor control. Tremors are often associated with Parkinson's disease, but people with dementia can also tremble.
Your hands may shake or you may drag your feet when you walk. People may also walk much more slowly than usual, making them more vulnerable or afraid of things like falling.
hallucination
Another common early sign of dementia, often one of the first that people notice, is visual hallucinations. Dementia is often associated with visual hallucinations, such as seeing things, people, or animals that aren't there, but people may also experience olfactory (smell), auditory (sound), and tactile (touch) hallucinations.
Dysregulation of bodily functions
As we age, biological functions such as sweating, pulse, blood pressure, and digestion can also be affected by dementia. There are many forms of dementia, one of which is Lewy body dementia (LBD), in which nerve cells in the brain are affected by Lew bodies. These control parts of the brain responsible for bodily functions and can cause symptoms such as constipation.
sleep complications
One of the least recognized signs of dementia is sleep complications. Because we are often asleep while our loved ones are experiencing this condition, it is often overlooked. Rapid eye movement (REM) can cause people to act out their dreams as they appear. This can cause people to sleepwalk, which can pose a very real risk for people with dementia.
attention span problems
People with dementia often stare into space from time to time, and may appear “drowsy'' for long periods of time. They may also take long naps during the day and have very disrupted speech patterns, which can be the simplest warning signs of dementia.
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cognitive problems
Like attention span problems, cognitive problems are often easier to spot because they are very salient problems with thought processes. This is one of the classic signs of dementia, where people do not seem to follow a local or sequential order when speaking and may appear “out of sync.”
indifference
Apathy in older generations doesn't necessarily mean your loved one has dementia, but it can be a symptom to be aware of. This can result from realizing that you are nearing the final stage of life, and if no other signs are present, this is normal. However, severe apathy, almost catatonic, may indicate a risk of dementia.
depression
Like apathy, signs of depression may not indicate that the person has dementia. However, if you have some other warning signs, you may have dementia and are at risk for Lewy bodies affecting nerve cells in your brain.
