Dementia is a terrible disease that is often associated with the aging, but which is presently experienced by people as young as 50 or even 45 years old. In the past, this disease has been associated with the old and aging, but presently many people in the lower age bracket also become victims for yet unknown reasons.
Dementia has both psychological and behavioral symptoms. In its early stages, some of the symptoms might go unnoticed since many people; both victims and others might assume the associated unusual behaviour to be nothing serious but minor mental lapses. So, how can you tell that you or someone else close to you has symptoms of this horrible disease?
- Dementia is commonly associated with diseases such as Down syndrome, Huntington Disease, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, and latterly AIDS.
- If you appear to be uncharacteristically forgetful and experiencing acute memory loss or mental lapses, or you notice this in an aging relative, it is time you saw your doctor for thorough examination. What you take to be temporary, might be the beginning of an attack.
- Frequent attacks of depression among the ageing or experiencing of hormonal imbalances could eventually lead to an attack if not treated early. Early diagnosis allows for advance planning of finances, health and future medical care. This may also enable family members or carers to receive information, education and any counselling or support they need.
- When you or someone close to you begins experiencing and exhibiting signs of mental disorders like delusions or paranoiac attacks, seek immediate medical help. When they are frequent and recurrent, these symptoms could be piggy-backing on dementia.
- When people suddenly lose interest in things they hitherto enjoyed doing and become disinterested in life, something must be wrong. At some stage, the mind simply resists attempts to make it learn new things.
- When a person begins making strange demands and accusations, when they constantly blame others for mysterious disappearance of their items, when they demand new locks for their houses and want to change their bank accounts etc, something serious must be afoot.
- In a work environment, you could notice signs like missing an appointment or two by an aging executive, inability to recall what was agreed on in the previous meeting, or forgetting to remember the name of an old time client and so on.
- Changes in mental conditions or decline in mental abilities can also be seen in a general drop in performance at the work place. Slowing down of intellectual functions can be an indicator that symptoms are advancing.
- When you or someone close to you is unable to control their emotions, or solve problems as a result of changing personality accompanied by behaviour changes like delusions, agitation, and hallucination.
- Interruption of normal brain functions like perception, language skills, memory, cognitive abilities such as judgment and reasoning etc could also be early pointers.