MEMORY lapses, difficulty concentrating and even struggling to put an email together at work – these are all common signs of stress.
And let’s be honest, they’re so run-of-the-mill, most of us wouldn’t bat an eyelid, even if they lasted for several weeks.
Almost one million people in the UK are living with dementia – could you be one of them?[/caption]
But these behavioural changes are also potential symptoms of Alzheimer’s, particularly in under-65s.
Dr Martin Thornton, chief medical officer at Bluecrest, tells Sun Health: “We’ve all found things slipping our minds during busy work periods, but persistent or worsening brain changes could signal something deeper, even at a young age.
“Keep track of experiences that worry you, and be mindful of intense stress, which can contribute to inflammaging – chronic, low-grade inflammation that occurs with ageing.
“This increases your risk of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
“If in doubt, ensure you’re regularly monitoring your health so that you can spot issues before they develop further.”
If you’re working long hours, having financial difficulties or juggling childcare and relationship problems, it might be time to see your GP.
This is exactly what to look out for…
1. BRAIN BLIPS
FREQUENTLY forgetting meeting times, missing calls or double booking yourself?
“This could be more than stress, particularly if it’s been happening for a sustained period of time,” Dr Thornton says.
“It may actually be a sign of early memory impairment.
“Have a think about when this started, and make note of multiple occurrences, so you can provide a healthcare professional with the full context.”
2. DAZED AND CONFUSED
WE all have ‘off’ days when we just can’t seem to concentrate – whether it’s in a meeting, GP appointment or even simply watching TV.
“But if you’re struggling to keep track of what’s being said during meetings or you find yourself re-reading the same document over and over with none of the words going in, this could be a sign of something more sinister than too many late nights in the office,” Dr Thornton says.
3. TECHNOPHOBIA
ARE you that person at work who struggles with spreadsheets, smartphones and printers?
This fear, dislike or avoidance of new technology is pretty common in the UK, especially in older generations, so it’s easy to brush aside.
But if it’s new, fast-developing or seriously affecting your day-to-day life, you should make an appointment with your GP.
Dr Thornton says: “Work can sometimes feel like a constant juggle.
“But if managing multiple deadlines or using new software feels trickier than usual, this could actually be a sign of diminished functioning and possibly Alzheimer’s, rather than just technophobia.”
Being a ‘technophobe’ could be an early warning sign[/caption]
4. WORD SALAD
“WE’VE all been there – when you can’t think of the exact word you need for an email, or you lose track of your thoughts mid-sentence,” Dr Thornton says.
“While this could be a sign of tiredness or stress, it could also reflect early changes in language processing.
“The earlier these are detected, the more a healthcare professional can do to help you manage the decline.”
5. SUDDENLY SHY
ANOTHER red flag is pulling back from any social interaction.
Dr Thornton says: “Some of us can think of nothing worse than after-work drinks or organised fun, but choosing to skip out on social activities, or becoming more reserved at work due to the fear of making mistakes, could stem from confusion – a key feature of Alzheimer’s.
“You know yourself, so make sure you’re questioning changes in your behaviour.
“If something doesn’t feel right, it’s often a sign of something deeper.”
The early stages of dementia
DEMENTIA is not a single condition. It is caused by different physical diseases of the brain – like Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia and DLB.
More than 944,000 people in the UK currently have it. And no matter the type, it affects everyone differently.
The first signs of it are often mild and easy to brush off, but can include:
- Memory problems (e.g. being unable to recall recent events or losing keys)
- Planning and thinking difficulties (e.g. finding complex decisions about finances hard)
- Language and communication trouble (e.g. struggling to find the right word)
- Poor orientation (e.g. getting lost easily in familiar areas)
- Visual-perceptual difficulties (e.g. problems judging distances)
- Changes in mood or emotion (e.g. feeling anxious or frightened or getting easily upset)
“Many people at the early stage of dementia stay largely independent and only need a bit of assistance with daily living,” Alzheimer’s UK says.
“It is important to focus on what the person can do and not to take over and do things for them.
“Instead, try doing things with them, for example helping the person develop a routine, reminder lists and prompts, and use technology.”
Because dementia is progressive, it gets worse over time, usually over several years. Experts generally think of it in three stages:
- Early stage (mild)
- Middle stage (moderate)
- Late stage (severe)
“These stages can be used to understand how dementia is likely to change over time, and to help people prepare for the future,” the charity adds.
“The stages also act as a guide to when certain treatments, such as medicines for Alzheimer’s disease, are likely to work best.”
Most people who develop dementia are over the age of 65. Anyone diagnosed before this is considered to have young-onset dementia, which affects about 70,800 people in the UK.
6. TRIAL AND ERROR
AS Hannah Montana famously sang, everybody makes mistakes.
It’s a normal part of life, and not usually something to be overly-concerned about.
“We’ve all made errors of judgement at various times in our lives,” Dr Thornton says.
“The problem is when these errors start to get in the way of key responsibilities.
“Whether it’s forgetting to pick a child up from school or cutting important corners in a work project, these mistakes could be a sign of impaired reasoning – an early sign of Alzheimer’s.”
7. GOING THROUGH CHANGES
“LIFE is full of significant changes, which can throw all of us off course at some point,” Dr Thornton says.
“It’s normal to be jarred by big changes, but if you’re finding even the smallest changes to your routine difficult, it might signal a deeper issue that you’re finding it difficult to process new information.
“This is an early sign of cognitive decline.”
Difficulties with time and planning are common in the early stages of dementia[/caption]
8. TIME WARP
SOME of us are better with time-keeping than others, and not all of us are good with directions.
“No matter which camp you sit in, we’ve all had those stomach-churning moments when you arrive at a meeting in totally the wrong place, miss your bus or forget what time your appointment starts,” Dr Thornton says.
“But if you’re finding yourself feeling disorientated, no matter how carefully you schedule your diary, particularly if you’re having trouble with even familiar times and locations, this could indicate early signs of spatial or temporal disorientation, which shouldn’t be ignored.”
9. MOOD SWINGS
“INCREASED irritability, anxiety about routine tasks or becoming unusually withdrawn or suspicious of colleagues can easily be misread as emotional burnout – a state of prolonged physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion resulting from chronic unmanaged stress, often due to excessive demands at work, in personal life, or from other challenging situations,” Dr Thornton says.
“But these things may actually reflect neurological changes related to Alzheimer’s.”
10. OUT OF KILTER
WHEN we’re stressed, even the simplest tasks can be challenging.
“Lots of us will have stiffness from sitting at a desk all day, or from physically intense jobs,” Dr Thornton says.
“But when you start noticing more frequent physical symptoms, such as stumbling, losing your balance or difficulty buttoning up your shirt, it could point to something more serious.
“These physical symptoms may be connected to changes in the brain’s motor functions, which can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s.”
Is it ageing or dementia?
Dementia – the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s – comes on slowly over time.
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.
The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.
You can refer to these above.
For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulties having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.
“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.
“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn’t belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”
