Dementia is largely associated with memory loss, but this is often not the first symptom people experience. It is usually just the first symptom that they do not dismiss as something much more minor, like stress, ageing or even a midlife crisis, according to a GP.
Dr Dominic Greenyer, a private GP at The Health Suite in Leicester, said: “People are so tuned in to memory loss that they can miss the signs sitting right in front of them. By the time a family connects these changes to a possible dementia diagnosis, months or even years can have gone by.”
He urged people to be on the lookout for two specific symptoms that could be early warning signs of dementia and have nothing to do with a person's memory.
Character changes
Dementia symptoms change depending on which part of the brain is affected. In frontotemporal dementia cases, this causes a change in personality long before any memory problems arise, but the GP warned many people dismiss this as a normal sign of ageing.
This can include:
- Acting out of character
- Making inappropriate or out-of-character comments
- Acting on impulse
- Seeming less bothered about how their actions affect others
- Losing interest in things they used to care about
Anxiety, irritability and mood swings can also join this slew of symptoms. While it may become severe enough that families start looking for answers, few might consider dementia among the first diagnoses.
Dr Greenyer added: “These changes may be attributed to a marriage under strain, or a midlife crisis, for a long time before they seek help.
“It's completely understandable, but it can delay a diagnosis that would actually bring relief and answers.”
Visual and spatial difficulty
Early signs of visuospatial difficulty can include:
- Struggling to judge distance while parking or driving
- Getting lost in areas you know well
- Finding it harder to recognise faces
- Difficulty making sense of busy visual scenes
This can be a sign of a form of Alzheimer's disease that tends to be diagnosed at a younger age than most people expect.
Dr Greenyer said: “This is one of the least recognised early signs of dementia, because nothing about it looks like forgetting.
“People blame their eyesight, their concentration, or just having an off day - sometimes for years before they seek help.”
