Early Signs of Dementia - What to Look Out For

There are early signs of dementia that if caught sooner than later, will allow you time to prevent any further onset. Memory loss can begin as early as your 40’s, and without creating any undue concern, it is best to know what to look out for as forewarned means being forearmed, especially when it comes to your brain and mental health.

Dementia may stem from genetic and environmental conditions or from disease and trauma. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common condition of dementia and although the cause is not known, protein clumps creating plaque are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. The second most common is Vascular Dementia, which is often brought on by damage to the brain vessels through stroke or other types of brain injury.

The exact causes of dementia are yet unknown, and other than known brain injury related dementia, there are a few theories, some of which we have shared here.

• ·      We are getting older as a nation – so the incidence of senile dementia is increasing by default.
• ·      Our nutrition has been compromised – we are not getting as much whole natural foods in our diet and sugar intake has increased. This creates disturbances in our gut which affects our brain.
• ·      We forget our love of learning and think we have learned everything there is to know about life, so we stop learning and growing. We now know that the brain is an organ that likes to change and develop and if we stop feeding it, it can become dormant.
• ·      Depression, anxiety and other unresolved mental health traumas – these have been linked to later life dementia.
• ·      Monotonous daily routines – the brain is a natural problem-solving organ and if it does not get the opportunity to problem solve, it does not get the opportunity to grow and develop new pathways, leading to stagnation.
• ·      Control – often people who have dementia have felt powerless at times during their lives to make decisions for themselves. This may affect their ability to problem solve, taking away the brain’s ability to work in the way that it is supposed to.

This information may be helpful if you are concerned about your brain’s health and fitness. It may be time to take a step back, objectively view your daily habits and make a judgement on what is supporting you and what is not.

When looking for early signs of dementia, it is important to remember that we all have moments of forgetfulness, misplacing items, hazy brain days. With the amount of information we are processing today, this is no wonder!

However there is a difference between being absent minded and showing signs of dementia. Here are some early signs to look out for:

Memory Loss

It is normal to forget people’s names occasionally and forget where you placed the car keys. However someone with dementia will forget more often and will forget that they have forgotten, they may forget that they even have a car.

Language Problems

People with dementia forget to retrieve words they may have used often before. Or they may use a substitute word that pops into their head in that moment that makes no sense.

Disorientation

It is normal for many of us to forget the day of the week if we are really busy or we get momentarily disorientated. People with dementia forget the time and day and become disorientated easily. They may forget how to get home even if they are only around the corner.

Decreased judgement and concentration ability

Judgement is affected by dementia and people may not be able to show good judgement in making decisions about driving, using the cooktop or paying their bills. They become easily confused and make decisions that appear illogical.

Misplacing things

This one is a little more obvious. We all forget where we put our glasses, but people with dementia may have put them in the fridge. Misplacing things in inappropriate places is a common problem for people with dementia.

Mood Swings and Personality Changes

We all have mood swings and times when stress makes us do and behave in ways that are not constructive. Someone with dementia can have extreme mood swings from sadness to anger regularly. They may also experience personality changes such as becoming fearful, suspicious or even apathetic.

Let’s be aware of the changes that can happen to the brain, not fearful of them. If we can catch these symptoms sooner, at their early stages, it is possible to prevent early onset dementia.

Brain9D provide a series of memory tests and games that you can do to start tracking and monitoring your brain activity. Try out the Memory Test and Memory Game for a challenge.

Looking after our brain requires effort and commitment. Our brains are a problem solving and active organ that needs to be used in order to stay well and focused. Keeping a love of learning alive and well into your older years, looking after your nutrition and making decisions that improve your lifestyle will help you to feel empowered as an individual and contribute to your overall brain fitness.

At Brain9D, we are always researching ways to help people understand their brains. If you understand how your brain works, you will know how to make it better. Brain9D is an all-in- one brain health and fitness program. We use data that you provide us about your lifestyle, medical history, face recordings, brain signal recordings, and other sources to give you a snapshot of your brain’s health condition. Sign up today!