“What are the early symptoms of dementia?”
The boundary between the initial state of dementia and normal health is said to be rather ambiguous.
I will tell you ahead of time, but if dementia develops, the merit of starting treatment at an early stage is very large.
If dementia progresses and the symptoms become more serious, the treatment effect that can be expected will inevitably decrease.
So this time, I will explain the early symptoms of dementia and the measures to take.
This article is recommended for:
- I want to know about the early symptoms of dementia
- I want to know an effective method as a countermeasure against dementia
- I want to know what happens when dementia progresses
- Someone in your family may have dementia
If you want to know about the early symptoms of dementia and the measures to take, please refer to it.
*If there is a family member who may have dementia, we would like you to take action as soon as possible.
With early detection, you can naturally expect a therapeutic effect for yourself, and you can greatly reduce the burden on your family.
With the advice from the doctor, we can create leeway to think about the future, how the whole family will face dementia.
We hope that this article has given you some ideas on what to do.
table of contents
What are the main early symptoms of dementia?
Dementia is more likely to be prevented from progressing by early diagnosis and early detection.
Procrastinating to see a doctor advances the progression and makes it difficult to improve the symptoms, so early treatment is important. Know the main symptoms of dementia so that you can see a doctor early.
Early symptoms of dementia include:
Dementia Early Symptoms Checklist
- feeling down easily
- rant
- use violence
- get angry
- Inability to do housework or cooking
- lose things
- fail to keep promises
- say the same thing over and over
- ask the same thing over and over
If any of these apply to you, we recommend an early consultation.。
What if dementia is suspected?
What should I do even though it's an early diagnosis?
Which medical institution should I go to?
I think there are a certain number of people who do not know what action to take even if they are suspected of having dementia.
If dementia is suspected by looking at the initial symptoms and checklist,It is recommended that you visit a medical institution that specializes in dementia called Monowasure Outpatient.
Check to see if there are any medical institutions near your home that offer advice on dementia.
Alternatively, you can consult your family doctor.
For example, in recent years, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has conducted dementia training for primary care physicians, and may have acquired knowledge for appropriate dementia treatment.
In the first place, we are aware of the patient's health condition, so why don't you rely on us?
The person does not want to go to the doctor. .
As a common case, there are cases where people who are suspected of having dementia decide that they do not need to see a hospital and do not want to go to the hospital.
When talking about dementia, it is a very sensitive and important topic that communication with patients is inseparable even if they are cut off.
It is the patients themselves who feel the most anxiety, such as not being able to do what they used to be able to do, or forgetting their memories of a while ago.
There may be cases where the patient's mental state is not normal, so instead of forcibly taking the patient to the hospital, try to calm down and take measures that will make the patient feel at ease.
You may also want to consult with your primary care physician.
If you are reluctant to be invited by your family, it may be a good idea to ask someone other than your family to see you.
Above all, it is important to take care so that the person can act comfortably.
Dementia is divided into core symptoms and peripheral symptoms
I have explained the initial symptoms, but what kind of symptoms will occur if dementia progresses?
Symptoms of dementia are divided into core symptoms and peripheral symptoms.
Core symptoms are those that result from cognitive decline.
The main symptoms include memory impairment, disorientation, executive dysfunction, and poor judgment.
Peripheral symptoms, on the other hand, are symptoms caused by the action of core symptoms, psychological factors, physical factors, and environmental factors.
We will explain each in detail in the following sections.
About core symptoms
I will explain the main contents of the core symptoms.
Impaired comprehension/judgment
The ability to understand things properly and make judgments declines.
For example, it becomes difficult to "understand and judge" tasks such as driving a car, crossing a traffic light, or crossing a railroad crossing.
Aphasia/Agnosia/Apraxia
You will not be able to understand language, express yourself, or correctly perceive information obtained through your eyes.
It also makes it harder to do the right thing.
executive dysfunction
Decreased ability to plan and get things done.
You will not be able to cook, do math, change shirts, etc.
disorientation
People with disorientation cannot accurately perceive people, time, and place around them.
For example, you may not be able to distinguish between day and night, or you may not know where you are. They may also lose track of their family members and perceive them as strangers.
memory impairment
You will lose your past memories.
You may not be able to remember new things or remember who you talked to most recently.
You may also find it difficult to remember the names of things.
Peripheral symptoms
I will explain the main contents of the peripheral symptoms.
Hallucination
You can see and hear things that are impossible in reality.
People can see the furniture in the house, and it feels like someone you don't know is talking to you.
Delusion
Persecution delusions become stronger as they mistakenly think that their personal belongings have been stolen.
We become convinced that things have happened that simply cannot happen in real life.
Wandering around and getting lost when going out
When you go out, you may get lost on a familiar road.
Because you lose your sense of direction, you don't know where you are.
Therefore, it wanders repeatedly and sometimes gets lost.
lethargy, anxiety, depression
Disturbances in daily life can lead to lethargy and depression.
They lose interest in things they used to be interested in, causing insomnia and loss of appetite.
refusal to care
Some people refuse to provide nursing care because they feel sorry for causing trouble to others, or because they are stressed that they cannot act as they want.
verbal abuse or violence
Anxiety, impatience, poor physical condition, and lack of control over emotions can lead to verbal abuse and violence.
What disease causes dementia?
There are four diseases that cause dementia.
We will explain each type, so please grasp it as knowledge.
Alzheimer's dementia
It is the most common cause of dementia.
For some reason, a protein called amyloid β accumulates in the brain, destroys nerve cells, and causes brain atrophy.
The main symptoms are executive dysfunction, disorientation, and memory impairment.
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Lewy body is a disease in which a protein called Lewy body accumulates in the brain and destroys nerve cells.
Similar to Alzheimer's dementia, it causes executive dysfunction, disorientation, and memory impairment.
vascular dementia
Cerebral vascular disease, such as cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction, deprives nerve cells of oxygen and nutrients. Numbness or numbness in the limbs and difficulty in controlling emotions.
frontotemporal dementia
It is a disease that destroys nerve cells, mainly in the temporal and frontal lobes.
Symptoms include repetitive behavior and speech disturbances.
How to prevent dementia?
There is still no clear method for preventing dementia.
Aging is a common cause of dementia, as brain function declines with age.
However, people with so-called lifestyle-related diseases tend to develop dementia.
Improving your living environment is also a way to prevent dementia, so please refer to the following.
talk to others
By talking and communicating with others, the brain is stimulated and it becomes easier to prevent brain function decline.
Eating and watching movies while talking with family, friends, and acquaintances can also help prevent mental health.
eat a balanced diet
Lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and arteriosclerosis may increase the risk of developing dementia.
Eat a well-balanced diet to prevent lifestyle-related diseases.
exercise moderately
Moderate exercise improves blood circulation throughout the body and prevents brain function deterioration.
A simple walk is no problem. Exercise on a regular basis to keep your brain active, so make a conscious effort to exercise.
summary
This time, I explained the early symptoms of dementia and the measures to take.
Correct understanding will lead to early detection.
If you notice any signs of dementia, we encourage you to seek medical attention early.
For both you and your family, early detection and improvement can give you both financial and mental comfort.
Dementia prevention can be done in our daily lives.
Let's try to prevent lifestyle-related diseases and prevent dementia by having an appropriate diet and moderate exercise.