What Are the Early Signs of Memory Loss?

Hi, friend! Welcome to my porch! How’s your day been going? Today, we’re about to discuss a serious problem that more and more seniors are challenged by. So, take a seat, enjoy your coffee, and let’s discover together the dangers and risks of ignoring memory loss signs. 

Memory loss is something we, as seniors, tend to be extremely afraid of. Am I right? Once we reach retirement age, we consider the possibility of losing our independence… and, most importantly, our mental acuity. While it may seem amusing to repeatedly say the same things or struggle to remember basic words, these can be significant signs of memory issues that should not be overlooked.

One of the biggest issues with memory loss is that it not only has the power to disrupts daily life, but it can also be a symptom of dementia. A recent study has shown that 1 in 10 U.S adults aged 45 and older reported experiencing memory decline. So, unfortunately, more and more seniors are struggling to fight against Alzheimer’s in their golden years.

Although losing our sharpness as we age could be considered normal, some signs show you when something isn’t quite right. And that’s what I’m trying to do here. In today’s porch confession session, we’re going to discuss all the important signs of memory loss, Alzheimer’s, treatment options, but I’ll also share some tips and tricks for keeping our minds sharp.

Before you start worrying, you should know that some causes are treatable, and there are steps you can take to protect your mental sharpness in the long term.

Are You Dealing with Normal Forgetfulness or Severe Memory Loss?

You can understand the difference by recognizing the early signs and also their frequency. It might seem difficult at first, but trust me, it’s not impossible to understand whether you’re dealing with age-related forgetfulness or some serious cognitive problems. Considering that the cognitive decline usually indicates dementia or other memory disorders, it’s essential to take action immediately.

All of us can sometimes forget which day it is, but we usually remember it later. Well, when there’s a serious problem, you’ll most likely lose track of dates and seasons, and even find yourself challenged by normal daily activities.

Sometimes, you can simply forget which word to use, but when it happens frequently, make sure to consider seeing a specialist. Another thing people with cognitive decline encounter is taking longer to learn new things.

Memory Loss vs. Retirement

As you already know, retirement is the perfect time to rediscover ourselves and start new hobbies. Well, for many Americans, these things represent a luxury they can’t afford. In order to start a new hobby, you need to be mentally prepared to engage in a learning system. As long as your mind is not open to new adventures, it will be extremely difficult for you to keep up with your plans.

Unfortunately, once they realize they struggle to adapt in a retirement community or simply don’t have enough energy for it, seniors tend to isolate themselves and live a lonely life. Well, this type of behavior doesn’t help at all. It can exacerbate the symptoms and make everything worse. So, keep in mind that if you’re dealing with episodes of memory loss, it’s essential not to ignore them. Stay active, speak about your problem, and ask for help.

Also, if you have any friends who are struggling with cognitive decline, don’t hesitate and support them in their healing process. Even though for some types of dementia the symptoms are irreversible, a treatment that comes from a professional can work like magic.

Memory Loss Is NOT Always Recognizable

Yes, you read that right. One of the biggest challenges of memory loss is that many individuals may not be fully aware of their cognitive decline. This phenomenon has a name: anosognosia. Unfortunately, it makes it difficult and almost impossible for those affected to recognize when to seek help.

You probably understand now why family members play a huge role in discovering the early signs and treating them. A loved one would always tell you when something feels off. Having your friends and family close to you is, by far, one of the greatest blessings.

Don’t try to run away from your problems, and always treat any challenge with courage! This way, you’ll most likely prevent bigger damage in the long term.

Now that the introduction is over, let’s discover together the most obvious signs of memory loss. Are you ready? Read on.

8 Early Signs and Symptoms of Memory Loss

1. You Find It Hard to Complete Tasks

Have you found difficulty in completing familiar tasks? This might be an important sign of cognitive decline. Most people struggling with memory changes from Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia discovered their issues by finding it hard to complete daily tasks.

Some of the most encountered issues are having trouble driving to familiar locations, struggling to organize a grocery list, and last but not least, forgetting important details and information while speaking to their loved ones.

2. You Lose Track of Dates

Did you know that people living with memory conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, can make you lose track of dates and seasons? Not being able to understand the passage of time is a serious problem. For example, some of the people struggling with these may forget where they are or how they got there.

So, this can turn into something dangerous. Unfortunately, there were a lot of cases with seniors who forgot how to get back home when they went on an adventure. Sounds funny? Don’t dare laugh at this, because losing your independence is one of the biggest challenges for a person in their golden years.

3. You Experience Changes in Judgement

Most individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s experience changes in decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money. Have you noticed anything similar in your case?

Even though some of these signs might not seem like a big deal, trust me when I say that they are. But don’t get me wrong! Making bad decisions is completely normal, especially if it happens once in a while. The problems appear when you are struggling to make decisions when it comes to important topics.

4. Withdrawal from Work or Social Activities

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is that people experience changes in their ability to hold or follow a conversation. As a result, they tend to withdraw from social activities and engagements, feeling safer when they spend time alone.

As a retiree, I can proudly say that I didn’t have serious problems adapting to my new lifestyle. I loved having the chance to rediscover myself and my passions. So, the social activities and hobbies turned out my golden years into one of the best chapters of my life. I can’t imagine how my life would have been without my friends and our regular meetings.

How about you? How’s your retirement been going? Do you find retirement communities useful? Please let me know in the comment section found below. 

5. You Encounter Problems with Words in Speaking or Writing

Usually, people wth dementia find it hard to join a conversation. They tend to stop in the middle of it and think about the words they were about to use. Sometimes, they may have no idea how to continue so they may repeat themselves. Unfortunately, if you begin struggling with your vocabulary is clearly one of the most serious signs that something isn’t quite right.

For example, my friend Ann started to have trouble naming familiar objects. Her friends, including me, told her multiple times that something didn’t feel right. I have to admit that we laughed a lot when it first happened, but quicker than we could have imagined, the problem began to happen more and more often.

Ann is now following a treatment and is feeling way better. But even though she was a lucky patient, it doesn’t mean that other people are not dealing with worse situations. Mental issues are very unpredictable.

6. Misplacing Things

Have you ever been annoyed because of forgetting where you’ve put your favorite T-shirt? Well, me too. It’s not always a sign of mental decline, but you should definitely track how often it happens to you.

People living with Alzheimer’s are usually putting things in unusual places, so they end up losing things and are unable to go back over their steps to find them again. The interesting part is when these people accuse others of stealing, which often occurs as the disease progresses.

So, even though we misplace things from time to time, as long as we can retrace our steps to find them, we’re safe.

7. Changes in Mood

We all go through emotional roller coasters, especially nowadays, when everything seems to go crazy. More and more experts are discussing the possibility of dealing with World War III, and the price hikes are becoming increasingly hard to handle. All these fast-moving societal changes and stress can feel overwhelming.

Even though mood changes can be understood in a lot of situations, when a person is dealing with a more serious mental problem, they can become confused, suspicious, depressed, or even anxious. Individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia may be easily upset, especially when they’re out of their comfort zone.

8. Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks

Those who experience memory changes are usually struggling to complete daily tasks. For example, my friend Ann was also having trouble driving to a familiar location. Isn’t that strange? Mental sharpness means everything nowadays. Without it, you have to rely on other people’s help. Not remembering your grocery list, passwords from social media accounts, or simple chats you had a few days ago are serious signs that something is not going amazing.

It’s normal to ask for help and sometimes find it difficult to do everything by yourself, but when you need constant assistance and help from others, it’s clear that your mental health is declining.

Remember that panicking is not an option. So, no matter what you encounter, try to stay calm and speak to a professional. A doctor’s perspective is the one you should care about. Once you get a personalized treatment, you’ll start to feel that things are improving.

Now that you know which are the most common signs of mental changes, let’s move on and discover how Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed.

How is Alzheimer’s Diagnosed?

When diagnosing Alzheimer’s, doctors use the patient’s medical history and neurological exams. The healthcare professional evaluates the patient’s symptoms and requests additional tests when necessary. Typically, they also speak with the patient’s friends and family to gather more information. Given that this is a mental condition, the patient is not always aware of their symptoms.

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. Usually, obtaining the correct diagnosis is a crucial step toward appropriate treatment.

Required Tests

To evaluate the memory, a healthcare professional may ask the patient specific questions and have him perform tasks that measure cognitive skills. Here are the tests with the most effective results for dementia diagnosis.

• Mental status testing

Mental status testing is a must! This type of test helps doctors understand how well the patient can control their cognitive skills and memory. The scores obtained by the patient on this test are what matter the most because they usually reveal the degree of cognitive decline. Makes sense? It’s one of the most accurate results when it comes to diagnosis.

• Neuropsychological tests

The doctors trained in brain conditions are known as neuropsychologists and play an important role in diagnosis. These specialists usually conduct additional tests to accurately assess the state of your memory and cognitive skills.

• Interviews

This is one of the most important parts of the diagnosis process. Unfortunately, many patients find it difficult to understand what’s really happening, so their loved ones’ opinions matter a lot. They can provide insights about how the patient has been feeling lately.

Healthcare professionals look for details that they can’t find in the patient. Family members or friends can explain how the decline started and which functional abilities and behaviors changed over time.

Alzheimer’s vs. Dementia. Do You Know the Difference?

We tend to hear a lot about dementia, especially nowadays, when more and more people are starting to lose their minds. That’s really not funny, even though it might sound like it. Unfortunately, all the stress we’re forced to deal with can affect us more than we can imagine. However, when it comes to dementia, people tend to mix up all these names and don’t really understand what’s the difference between Frontotemporal degeneration, Lewy body disease, or Vascular disease.

Even though dementia is driven by an underlying progressive neurodegenerative disease, there are multiple types of it. Learning the differences is very important in how patients and their families treat the disease.

Dementia

Think about ”dementia” as an umbrella term that describes some common symptoms that are caused by specific diseases. For example, one of the most famous diseases that causes dementia is called Alzheimer’s, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. However, keep in mind that not all cognitive decline is considered dementia.

Another thing you should know is that dementia is not a normal part of aging! It appears only when the brain cells are damaged, so that’s when their ability to communicate begins, affecting the way the individual thinks and behaves.

Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is caused by changes following cell damage. Most of the time, it leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time. The most common symptom of Alzheimer’s is not remembering new information. But as the disease advances, symptoms get more severe and include confusion and serious behavior changes. Unfortunately, it also leads to troubles in swallowing and walking in its last phases.

Yes, the possibility of getting Alzheimer’s increases when we age, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a normal part of aging. Most patients are 65 or older, but let’s not forget that approximately 200,000 Americans under 65 are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Here’s an amazing guide written by a caregiver. You should definitely read it if you have someone in your family who’s going through some tough times. Or who knows? Maybe you just want to stay informed.

The Bottom Line – Is Memory Loss Preventable?

Unfortunately, most of the diseases caused by memory loss are not preventable. However, there are a few things you need to take care of to protect your health. For example, you need to make sure that you stay away from all kinds of head injuries, because, believe it or not, these are the most common causes of memory loss in seniors.

Another thing you need to do is manage your health conditions. There are a few conditions that can seriously increase the appearance of memory loss. The good news is that these are often manageable. Here are some of the conditions that can be easily kept under control: Type 2 diabetes, Hypertension, and Depression.

Last but not least, make sure you have a healthy diet, based on vegetables and fruits. Maintaining an ideal weight can significantly reduce the risk of developing circulatory conditions that can affect your brain.

Before leaving, here’s today’s song recommendation: Lose Control by Teddy Swims. Have you ever heard it? It’s definitely one of my favorite songs. I’ve recently added it to my playlist.

Also, don’t forget to check out other articles found on my website: The 4 Biggest Money Mistakes I Made After Retiring

Hope you had an amazing time on my porch! See you next time!