Do you have memory problems? Here’s how to know if it’s dementia or aging

Who has not forgotten a name, sometimes poorly placed, nor tripped in the right word during a conversation? However, with increasing awareness of dementia, these occasional slowdowns often suggest that people wonder if it could be an early sign of dementia.

As people get older, you may notice that it takes a little more time to remember the things, but most of the time there is no cause of concern. This occasional forgetfulness is called disability of the memory associated with age and is a normal part of aging. Although it can be frustrating, it does not mean that you suffer from dementia.

Although many people confuse normal aging with dementia, the two are very different. Dementia often starts with a slight loss of memory but gradually worsens over time. In memory changes related to normal age, forgetting tends to be occasional and generally involves memories of the most distant past. On the other hand, people with dementia frequently fight with recent events, such as forgetting a conversation that they had earlier in the day or not to recognize someone they have just met.

Dementia does not only concern memory loss. It also brings confusion, the difficulty in managing daily tasks, problems with language and understanding, and notable changes in behavior. Over time, these challenges interfere with a person’s ability to perform daily activities and can considerably affect their independence.

However, it is important to remember that noticing symptoms such as memory loss or confusion is not enough to diagnose dementia. Only a health professional can establish this diagnosis after an in -depth assessment. This generally involves medical history, cognitive tests, physical exams and sometimes brain imaging to exclude other possible causes.

Memory problems can also come from a variety of other causes, including head injuries such as concussion, brain tumors or infections, thyroid or organ problems, side effects of drugs, mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, substance abuse, sleep disorders or even deficiencies in key nutrients such as vitamin B12 and bad nutrition.

When to see a doctor?

If memory problems are starting to interfere with daily life, it is important to see a doctor. Warning panels include the repetition of the same questions over and over again, loss in familiar places or the difficulty of managing personal care.

In some cases, the elderly can be diagnosed with a slight cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition where memory or problems of reflection are more visible than in others their age. However, unlike dementia, people with MCI can generally manage their daily activities independently, but this can sometimes be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.