Aging brings many changes, not the least of which is occasional memory loss, which often worries many people.
These cognitive changes can be completely normal, so don’t be alarmed if you occasionally forget your sunglasses or the name of your son’s old teacher. But there is a clear distinction between age-related cognitive changes and dementia.
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Approximately 7 million people in the United States have dementia, and this number is expected to double by 2060. Experts say cognitive impairment becomes more severe at some point.
“The magical line that moves someone from mild cognitive impairment to dementia is when one of their cognitive impairments impairs function. To me, that’s one of the key parts of defining when someone transitions to dementia,” said Dr. Stephanie Northell, a geriatrician and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
That could mean no longer being able to use a car, getting lost while driving on a familiar route, or not being able to pay taxes decades later, she said. If cognitive changes make it difficult to go about a normal day, that’s a red flag, she added.
Dementia is an umbrella term that describes many forms of cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia), vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease, Northell said.
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The specific manifestations of the disease depend on the actual diagnosis. While cognitive impairment is a common problem, there are also physical symptoms that are often associated with dementia. What are they:
1. Difficulty walking and balancing
“I found that many of the more physical manifestations occur in the later stages of dementia,” Nossel said. But one physical problem that can appear early in the disease and get worse throughout the course of the disease is “a person’s ability to walk and maintain balance,” she said.
“In reality, the ability to maintain balance and walk smoothly requires a lot of brainpower because you have to process a lot of different inputs,” Northell noted.
You have to deal with how your feet feel, you have to deal with what your eyes see in your surroundings and so on. “You have to react quickly to these things, so being able to walk is a very cognitive task,” Northell said.
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Therefore, difficulty walking, difficulty balancing, and frequent falls are signs of dementia. (But be aware that these problems aren’t just signs of disease; they can be caused by arthritis or even clumsiness.)
2. Posture changes and foot dragging
The second most common form of dementia is dementia with Lewy bodies, said Dr. Jory Fleischer, associate professor of neuroscience at Rush University in Chicago. This describes several types of dementia, including Parkinson’s disease.
During this performance, Fleischer says, you might notice a change in posture, a shift in footsteps, or someone walking slower than before.
While it’s easy to blame these problems on aging, poor concentration or arthritis, “if we see this pattern, we want to pay attention to it,” she adds.
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3. Changes in taste and smell
Changes in your sense of taste or smell can be attributed to many issues, such as COVID-19 infection or a history of sinus problems, but in addition to known factors, unexplained changes in these sensations can also be linked to dementia.
“Sometimes the person doesn’t notice it themselves, but their loved ones will say, ‘Hey, there’s something burning on the stove and you don’t smell it,'” Fleischer explained.
This symptom should prompt people to see a doctor. Fleischer said that while it may not be a sign of all forms of dementia, it is associated with dementia with Lewy bodies.
4. Swallowing problems
People with dementia may also have difficulty swallowing food and drinks.
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“People will eat or drink, and things can accidentally ‘go down the wrong pipe,’ so to speak,” Nossel said.
In this case, the food actually did go down the wrong pipe, she said. “If you have food or fluids going into your lungs through your windpipe, they shouldn’t be there,” Northell noted.
Saliva helps us swallow food and drinks, and “our mouths are full of bacteria,” she says. She explains that while some bacteria are good, some are not so good (thus causing cavities and gum disease), and if these harmful bacteria end up in your lungs with food, they can cause you to get an infection.
“We call it aspiration pneumonia, which is why pneumonia is relatively common in the later stages of dementia,” Northell explained.
Difficulty swallowing, balance problems, and more can be physical manifestations of dementia. Westend61 via Getty Images
5. Bladder control issues
“Unfortunately, incontinence can be a symptom of dementia,” Nossel said.
It takes a lot of nerves to control the bladder, and “as dementia progresses, these nerves degenerate,” she said.
Similarly, people may experience new episodes of constipation later in life, Fleischer said.
“It can also be a sign of Parkinson’s disease and related conditions, and often precedes other symptoms by years,” Fleischer noted.
6. Sleep changes
Fleischer believes sleep changes are also important.
Fleischer said people experiencing sleep changes may not notice it, but if you live with someone and notice they move around a lot at night, punch, yell or talk in their sleep, it’s important to let their medical team know.
“It could be a condition called rapid eye movement behavior disorder, which often develops several years before a person develops Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia,” she added.
Early diagnosis can be an effective way to prepare for the future.
It’s certainly difficult to acknowledge any health issues or changes, especially cognitively, but it’s important to do so.
Fleischer said we live in an age of innovation in dementia care.
“There are a lot of different studies going on right now trying to find treatments and drug options for people,” Northell added.
Doctors can examine biomarkers in the blood or spinal fluid to determine which type of dementia someone has and make treatment decisions based on that, Fleischer said.
No matter what, it’s best to start treatment or intervention early in the disease’s course, both Nossel and Fleischer said.
These treatments do not cure the disease, but they can help manage it. Additionally, early diagnosis can help families (and individuals) best prepare.
“Early detection is really helpful for a lot of different reasons, including planning and having a say in the future,” Northell said. If you catch it early, you can usually still make some decisions, whether it’s about your care, where to live, or financial choices.
This all makes it important to pay attention to any signs of dementia (either in you or a loved one) and contact your doctor if you notice any changes.
“As we know, diagnosis, knowledge and early detection is power,” Fleischer said.
Whether you have any of the above symptoms, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of dementia or slow the prevention of the disease. These include all aspects of a healthy lifestyle, two experts said.
To reduce your chances of developing dementia, it can help to follow a nutritious diet (Fleisher recommends the MIND diet), exercise, socialize with loved ones, and manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.
Experts predict that 42% of Americans over the age of 55 will develop dementia in their lifetime, but there are things you can do to prepare for the disease if you get a diagnosis, and there are steps you can take to help reduce your risk.
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Read the original article on The Huffington Post
