One unfortunate but inevitable fact of our existence is that our bodies deteriorate over time. Getting older reflects in our bodies, and wear and tear occur at every stage of our lives. People don’t all age the same way, whether physically or mentally, and it’s important to keep a close handle on your health so that any interventions for early onset dementia are made early and at their most effective.
What is dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease, but it names a cluster of symptoms that affect a person’s memory, thinking, speaking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with them enjoying and living out their daily life. Damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain is the typical root cause of dementia.
Several diseases can cause dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of progressive dementia in older adults. While Alzheimer’s typically affects older adults, it can also affect people in their thirties or forties. Dementia affects people differently and causes different symptoms depending on the region of the brain that’s affected.
Some dementias are progressive, meaning that they are not reversible. Alzheimer’s disease is one of these, along with Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia. Other types of dementia, such as that caused by nutritional deficiencies, or as a side effect of medications, can be reversed with treatment. You must see a medical professional as soon as possible for an assessment and proper diagnosis if you encounter the symptoms of dementia.
Signs of early onset dementia
The early signs of dementia may vary between individuals as well as depending on the cause and type of dementia one is suffering, but there are some common early symptoms, and these include the following:
- Having difficulty with your visual and spatial abilities, such as judging distance or getting lost while driving.
- Memory loss and subtle changes in their short-term memory that may lead to repetition of daily tasks or repeating questions in a conversation.
- Having trouble communicating or finding words. This may include forgetting simple words or substituting inappropriate words.
- Experiencing h
- Finding greater difficulty with reasoning or problem-solving, including difficulty with abstract thinking such as making sense of numbers.
- Having difficulty with planning and organizing, as well as decision-making. A person may struggle with decisions such as what to wear or they may struggle with the steps involved when preparing a meal.
- Issues with physical coordination and mobility.
- Struggling with handling focused or complicated tasks like balancing a checkbook or keeping track of bills.
- Experiencing confusion and disorientation.
- Personality changes, such as becoming disinhibited or more outgoing.
- Rapid mood swings with no apparent reason which include depression, apathy, aggression, and anxiety.
- Paranoia or being suspicious of others including family members and caregivers.
- Increased feelings of a
Treatment of early onset dementia
Since some treatable medical conditions can cause dementia and dementia-like symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor to determine the precise cause of the symptoms and set an appropriate treatment plan. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s can be treated with various medications such as Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Memantine, and Galantamine.
These medications help people to retain better control of their behavior, maintain their mental function, and slow the progress of the disease for anywhere from a few months to a few years. Cognitive training, regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, reducing alcohol consumption, and using relaxation techniques to reduce stress also help in addressing dementia.
Additionally, counseling can also help you or your loved ones better understand dementia and to receive adequate support to cope with changes in your life. This support can provide you with a positive outlook which helps in coping with early onset dementia.
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“Sunflowers”, Courtesy of Matthias Oberholzer, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Sunflowers”, Courtesy of Daiga Ellaby, Unsplash.com, Unsplash+ License