Memory loss is one of the most common symptoms of dementia, and just one of many signs of the disease characterized by loss of cognitive function.
Currently, at least 1.76 million people suffer from some form of dementia in Brazil, according to data from the Ministry of Health. However, cases of the disease are increasing as the population ages, and may reach 5.5 million by 2050.
To doubt the diagnosis, several symptoms and signs must be taken into account, according to experts. Check for some possible signs associated with dementia:
1. Problems with planning and following instructions
Cooking your favorite recipe and washing the dishes are some simple activities that you usually do without thinking, but they may become increasingly difficult as the disease progresses. This is because dementia can affect what is commonly known as “executive function.”
Therefore, the ability to perform inevitably worsens if a person cannot remember how to do things and the order in which they are done. Results? Confusion and slowness in completing the task.
2. Difficulty finding words
It happens to everyone that the correct word is on the tip of our tongue, but we cannot remember it. However, if this becomes a recurring phenomenon, it may represent a first and early sign of the development of dementia. According to experts, this happens because when the brain is damaged, the connections that help it find the right word at the right time are lost.
3. Insomnia and fatigue
As we age, it's normal to sleep for short periods and wake up frequently during the night, but this can be very harmful for someone with dementia. It turns out that our biological clock is affected by a hormone called melatonin, which decreases with age and decreases even more in Alzheimer's disease.
4. Mood changes
If a family member seems less sociable than usual, depressed, or even aggressive, all of these symptoms may be associated with the development of dementia.
This disorder, called frontotemporal dementia, affects the front part of the brain and can lead to aggression because the frontal lobes of the brain are where inhibitions are located. In essence, the person loses the ability to control his emotions, and thus a feeling of frustration arises due to the inability to understand or perform certain tasks, as well as a loss of the desire to spend time with other people.
Credits: Ratraca Liver.
