Things to Keep in Mind About Early Stages of Dementia

Dementia is a group of conditions dealing with the impairment of at least two brain functions in the patient. The group includes memory loss, difficulty in problem-solving, difficulty in making a judgment, and impairment in thinking abilities. The appearance of at least two of these problems is known as dementia. However, the early stage of dementia is not so severe. People with early-stage dementia can carry out their daily activities without the help of other people. Therefore, early symptoms cannot be noticed easily. However, recognising the early stage of dementia may help you get the treatment sooner.

You should Know these 6 Things about People with Dementia

Some signs appear at the early stage of dementia; by noticing which, you can determine the disease. People who are living with early-stage dementia want you to know about the following things:

1. Dementia is Possible with Young People

Many believe dementia affects only seniors, which is incorrect. Many younger people below the age of 60 are also seen suffering from this disease. Therefore, if you feel at risk of dementia, you should immediately contact your doctor, irrespective of age.

2. The Disease Causes the Action

Other people should understand that people having dementia does not have control over their actions. Sometimes their actions are the result of the disease. People having dementia may face problems like anxiety, aggression, and confusion. Other people should understand that the Action of the people having dementia is visible due to the presence of the disease.

3. The Disease Does Not Define the Patient 

The diagnosis of dementia does not define the patients who they are. Although diagnosis may affect life, it does not change persons for who they are. The patients love their loved ones the way they used to love before the diagnosis. People living with early-stage dementia are also capable of living the best lives, and they can do all the usual things even after the diagnosis.

4. Diagnosis with Dementia Does Not Mean the End of Life

Diagnosis at the early stage of dementia can help you plan your future life. You can live your life to the fullest. You can live an active and fulfilling life for as long as possible. You can prefer to have a well-planned and well-organised life. Furthermore, you can choose to do the most important things.

5. Don’t Debate the Diagnosis of Dementia

People living with dementia do not want you to debate the diagnosis of the condition. Do not argue about the things like the person does not seem to have dementia. Because people having dementia share different symptoms. Sometimes, even signs of dementia are not noticeable, but the person is living it every day.

6. Ask the Patient Directly

If you want to learn about the disease, ask the patient directly instead of talking about it around them. Gossiping makes them uncomfortable. Talk to them clearly about what you want to know about the disease. Because the patient is already suffering from the disease, your unwanted behaviour towards them makes them more frustrating.

Early Stage Dementia Symptoms 

With the help of some early symptoms, you can conclude whether someone has dementia or not. Some early dementia symptoms have been mentioned below:

• Memory Loss

Memory loss is the first sign of dementia. At an early stage, the problem is not so severe. However, the person may forget the recent dates or events and the items he kept since the problem is not easily noticeable at this stage.

• Mood Changes

Dementia also leads to changes in mood and feelings frequently. The person having dementia is at risk of depression due to the frequent change in the status of his mind. Such a patient may quickly get anxious, sad, and aggressive. Different emotions engulf his mind at other times. Sometimes people with dementia may also lose interest in hobbies and people. They also become easily frustrated with life. However, behavioural changes do not occur at the early stage of dementia.

• Communication Problem

A person with dementia may have to struggle to communicate effectively. They may fail to find the right word while speaking. They may also get problems with speech. Sometimes they may not be able to grasp what has been said, and it may take time to involve them in the conversation.

• Difficulty in Making Decisions

People with dementia often face difficulty in making plans for the future. They cannot solve problems and make decisions due to being in a confused state of mind. They also lose the power of judgment and opinion, which requires reasoning. Likewise, they cannot think deeply, so they must suffer a lot while making plans and decisions.

Types of Dementia

A person has dementia when the nerves connected to the brain get damaged. There are many types of dementia, and these have been mentioned below:

• Vascular Dementia

When the vessel that carries blood to your brain gets damaged, this type of dementia may occur as a result of that. The common signs of vascular dementia are impairment in the thinking process, problem-solving, and organising things.

• Alzheimer’s

Plaques are the collection of protein in the brain that damages the neurons and fibres connecting to them. Patients having Alzheimer’s have plaques in the brain. As per the expert, the mutation of three genes may be inherited by the child from their parents.

• Lewy Body Dementia

The Lewy body is the clump of protein found in the brains of people having Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Some common signs of this type of dementia are difficulty focusing, the illusion of seeing things that are not there, and acting in one’s dreams.

Conclusion

People having dementia have to suffer different problems. It depends upon various factors whether the dementia symptoms appear or not. Non-appearance of symptoms does not mean that dementia is not present. Friends and other close people are responsible for caring for the person suffering from this disease. It is often difficult to figure out the condition at an early stage. Therefore, if you risk getting this disease, you should visit the doctor as soon as possible.

FAQs

What are the seven dementia symptoms?

Seven dementia symptoms are:

• Memory loss.
• Difficulty in communication.
• Difficulty in performing familiar tasks.
• Impaired reasoning and judgment.
• A problem in thinking.
• Misplacing things.

What is sundowning behaviour?

Sundowning behaviour refers to the confusion prevalent in the late afternoon and lasts the whole night.

What time of day is dementia worse?

Dementia gets worse at night and gets better by morning.

Do people with dementia sleep a lot?

Yes, people with dementia at the later stage sleep a lot during the day and night.

How do you make a dementia patient happy?

Some easy processes to make dementia patients happy are engaging them in fun activities, cooking their favourite meals, encouraging them to enjoy nature, etc.