Dementia is a group of conditions that affect memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday activities. Occasional forgetfulness can happen with normal aging, stress, poor sleep, or other health issues, but persistent changes that interfere with daily life should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
10 early signs of dementia to pay attention to
- Memory loss that affects daily life
- Frequently forgetting recent conversations, appointments, or important information.
- Repeatedly asking the same questions despite receiving answers.
- Difficulty planning or solving problems
- Struggling with tasks that require steps, such as managing bills, following recipes, or organizing schedules.
- Problems with familiar tasks
- Having trouble completing routine activities that were previously easy, such as driving familiar routes or using common household devices.
- Confusion about time or place
- Losing track of dates, seasons, or where they are.
- Becoming disoriented in familiar surroundings.
- Trouble with visual or spatial skills
- Difficulty judging distances, recognizing objects, reading, or navigating spaces.
- New problems with words or communication
- Losing track of conversations, repeating phrases, or struggling to find the right words.
- Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps
- Putting items in unusual places and being unable to remember where they were placed.
- Changes in judgment or decision-making
- Uncharacteristic financial mistakes, unsafe choices, or reduced awareness of risks.
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Losing interest in hobbies, work, or social interactions due to confusion or difficulty keeping up.
- Changes in mood, personality, or behavior
- Increased anxiety, irritability, suspicion, apathy, or noticeable personality changes.
When to seek help
If you or someone close to you notices new, worsening, or disruptive changes in memory or thinking, it is worth discussing them with a healthcare professional. Many conditions—including medication effects, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, depression, sleep disorders, and infections—can cause memory problems and may be treatable.
A medical evaluation may include a health history, medication review, cognitive testing, and sometimes blood tests or brain imaging to help determine the cause.
