Good Lifestyle

The debilitating effects of dementia make it crucial to look for early signs of the disease. While there is currently no cure, identifying the onset of Alzheimer's and other conditions that cause cognitive decline can help people seek treatment as early as possible for the symptoms and progression of the disease.

"Dementia is a disorder that impairs an individual's ability to remember, think, or make decisions," explains Jim Dan, MD, geriatric clinical advisor and member of the Board of Directors at Senior Helpers, a national in-home senior care provider. "Dementia is not a specific disease, but rather an overall term used to describe a group of symptoms specific to memory loss and other cognitive impairments that are serious enough to interfere with an individual's ability to conduct everyday activities."

Some of the early warning signs of dementia are more well-known than others. Read on to find out about a surprising early symptom you might not be on the lookout for.

READ THIS NEXT: If You Do This When Getting Dressed, It May Be a Sign of Dementia.

Increasing forgetfulness is a commonly known symptom of dementia, with people often wondering if their memory loss is age-related, due to stress, or a potential symptom of dementia. But memory loss can go on to affect healthy habits.

"[Dementia] often attacks the speech and language centers of the brain, turning everyday tasks that are otherwise seen as simple—such as bathing, dressing or eating—into difficult tasks because the person can't remember how or why to do them," explains Dan, who also cites "difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, problems with words—either speaking or writing—constantly misplacing things, withdrawal from social activities, and mood swings/behavior changes" as potential symptoms.

These familiar tasks can include regular hygiene practices, such as hair care, oral health, and bathing. "While simple forgetfulness is normal with age, the forgetting of an often-practiced routine like daily hygiene can be cause for concern, as behavior changes are one of the most common early symptoms of dementia," says Dan.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

Because dementia can affect the ability to perform even the most routine activities, Dan advises that a change in daily routines can signify the onset of cognitive decline. Even the simple acts of brushing teeth, grooming, and getting dressed can be affected: "Individuals with early signs of dementia may find it challenging to dress themselves—[such as an] inability to get dressed and/or change clothes, or perhaps wearing something mismatched or inappropriate for the weather," he says. "If an individual previously was conducting a daily hygiene routine as part of their normal, everyday behavior, it's common that these familiar tasks become increasingly difficult to complete."

According to VeryWellHealth, difficulties getting dressed can include forgetting how to use zippers or buttons, putting clothing items on in reverse order, or becoming overwhelmed by clothing options and unable to choose items at all.

Memory loss can alter the ability to perform even regular, routine activities; people may forget how to practice good hygiene, or even why they need to do so. According to the Alzheimer's Association, "As Alzheimer's progresses, the person with dementia may forget how to brush his or her teeth or forget why it's important." But there are other cognitive changes caused by dementia that can affect daily habits. For example, a change in depth perception can make bathing frightening, and people "may not perceive a need to bathe or may find it a cold, uncomfortable experience."

Dementia can cause poor judgment, and this symptom may precede even the common early sign of memory loss. The ability to make good decisions can also affect hygiene practices, such as a person deciding they don't need to bathe, or that it's safe to dress lightly during harsh weather.

Apathy, too, is a personality change that can occur at the beginning of cognitive decline. This may result in a loss of interest in one's appearance.

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Penting untuk berkonsultasi dengan seorang profesional medis jika Anda mengetahui tanda -tanda awal demensia. "Karena demensia berkembang dengan cepat ... gejala sering menjadi cukup parah untuk mengganggu tugas harian," kata Dan. Meskipun tidak ada obat untuk demensia, Dan menjelaskan bahwa "kegiatan seperti sosialisasi, latihan mental dan fisik (yaitu bermain permainan kata yang merangsang ingatan otot otak, melakukan teka -teki yang mendorong pemikiran kritis dankoordinasi tangan-mata, atau pergi keluar untuk berjalan -jalan) dapat membantu pikiran tetap aktif dan berguna dalam memperlambat kerusakan mental. "

Selain itu, kegagalan untuk mempraktikkan kebiasaan sehat dapat memperburuk demensia. Penelitian telah menunjukkan bahwa faktor -faktor sepertitidur cukup dan menyikat gigidua kali sehari dapat mengurangi risiko penurunan kognitif. "Diet yang sehat, secara teratur berolahraga, dan mengendalikan faktor risiko kardiovaskular ... akan membantu mengurangi beban pada perjalanan hidup pasien," kata Dan. "Merawat kesehatan seseorang tidak akan menyembuhkan penyakit ini, melainkan menghilangkan faktor yang memberatkan."

Baca ini selanjutnya:Melakukan ini di pagi hari melipatgandakan risiko demensia Anda, kata studi.