Recently, I lost a friend to Parkinson's Disease. His symptoms manifested as a dementia that included hallucinations. I also read that last week was World FTD Awareness Week, which is frontotemporal dementia, the type of dementia that Bruce Willis has. I know as I age, I worry sometimes when I forget where I put something or can't find a word in my head that things are going awry in there. You just never know.
Dementia is a term that describes a group of conditions that affect memory, thinking, and interfere with daily life. There are different types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.
Here are some warning signs of dementia. If you or someone you love are having any of these symptoms/signs, see a doctor.
1. Subtle short-term memory changes, such as forgetting recent events or conversations, or misplacing items.
2. Difficulty finding the right words to express oneself or communicate with others, resulting in frustration and confusion for the person with dementia.
3. Changes in mood or personality, such as becoming more depressed, anxious, fearful, irritable, or apathetic.
4. Difficulty with complex mental tasks, such as planning, organizing, reasoning, or problem-solving.
5. Confusion and disorientation, such as getting lost in familiar places, not knowing what day it is, or having trouble recognizing people or objects.
6. Difficulty with coordination and motor functions, such as having trouble with balance, movement, vision, or hearing.
7. Hallucinations, such as seeing or hearing things that are not there.
8. Agitation, such as becoming restless, agitated, or aggressive.
9. Loss of interest or emotions, such as showing less interest in hobbies, activities, or social interactions.
10. Difficulty performing daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, eating, or using the toilet.
11. Metallic taste in mouth or decreased sense of smell.
12. Agnosia, which is the inability to identify objects and/or persons.
13. Loss of appetite, malnutrition, weight loss, or pneumonia, which are some of the complications of dementia after a prolonged period.
These are some of the early signs of dementia that may indicate a need for medical attention.
However, not everyone with dementia will experience all or any of these symptoms, and some of these symptoms may also be caused by other conditions. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor if you notice any changes in your memory or cognitive abilities that affect your daily life. A doctor may perform various tests to diagnose the cause and type of dementia and suggest possible treatments to manage the symptoms and slow down the progression of the condition. Some of the specialists who treat dementia are neurologists, psychiatrists, and geriatricians.
*This is for information only and should not be used to treat any medical condition. *
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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 828th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Well that's a relief. I only have maybe one of those. But the changes are real.
ReplyDeleteI fear dementia.
ReplyDeleteI fear this, sometimes irrationally.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite uncle died of Parkinson's. It robbed him of so much -- physically and mentally. What scared him most was that he was unable to discern reality from dreams. My friend Kathy has inflated her importance in events. Like this week she said she was one of the first women Sears ever hired "for advertising." That is completely untrue, and I was already a Sears copywriter when we met. But she's not lying. That's how she remembers it. It's very disturbing. I love that you recommend seeing a physician. Kathy has refused to. I am not convinced she has dementia. I fear, though, that it's too late -- we noticed she was fading at least 4 years ago -- to reverse anything.
ReplyDeleteVery important 13. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss. My mom died of Alzheimer's in 2010 and she had many of those signs over a period of time. We did not see it in the beginning.
ReplyDelete