10 Symptoms of Dementia

When many people think about dementia, Alzheimer's Disease often comes to mind. While it is true that it is associated with Alzheimer's Disease there are several other diseases and disorders that can cause dementia. You may be surprised to find out that dementia isn't actually a disease. It is a term that describes a collection of signs and symptoms that relate to a decline in cognitive abilities.This can be rather serious in that if the symptoms progress enough, your ability to perform simple tasks and every day functions can become increasingly difficult. It can be caused by a number of different things, but the common theme is damaged brain cells. The brain has many different areas that each carry out specialized functions. When those areas are damaged, different tasks are impacted. The signs and symptoms of dementia vary according to which areas of the brain get damaged.

1. Memory Loss

The key to determining whether or not someone you may know has dementia is the frequency or duration of disruptions that memory loss causes. Occasional forgetfulness is often seen as part of the aging process, however, when the forgetfulness is so extreme that important information is consistently forgotten, you may need to seek help from a doctor.It is helpful to determine what is normal and what is not in terms of aging. What's not normal is forgetting things that you have just learned. It is also not normal to not be able to remember important dates such as birthdays or anniversaries. If someone you know has difficulty remembering your name and you've known them your whole life, it may be a sign of dementia.Those who are afflicted with it may not always be able to recognize the signs and symptoms by themselves. It is important to keep an eye on a loved one who you suspect may be experiencing these signs and symptoms. If it takes your loved one a bit longer than usual to remember something, it's not necessarily cause for concern. When important information cannot be recovered or the forgetfulness happens every day you may want to seek help.Next