Dementia is a deeply complex condition that impacts millions of people worldwide, affecting not only those living with the diagnosis but also caregivers and families.
So, when does dementia begin? While dementia typically affects people over age 65, it can start earlier. For example, frontotemporal dementia tends to affect people under 60, but it’s a rare condition.
If you’re worried about dementia in yourself or a loved one, learning about the condition and how it progresses can help. An earlier diagnosis can also help with future plans, like exploring memory care options.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is the decline of cognitive abilities like thinking and memory. Symptoms are serious to the point of hindering everyday life. It happens when nerve cells in the brain stop functioning correctly.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging, but the condition can impact memory, language, and decision-making abilities. Other symptoms include paranoia, impulsivity, and trouble relating to others. Dementia can also lead to wandering and issues with movement and balance.
There are several types of dementia; Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Types of Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease
It’s estimated that Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 6 million Americans. The brains of people with Alzheimer’s have a build-up of abnormal proteins called amyloid plaques and tau tangles. These proteins interfere with the way brain cells work. Early-onset Alzheimer’s can appear as early as a person’s 30s, but this is rare.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory loss severe enough to disrupt daily life, repeating questions, misplacing objects, and personality changes. As the disease progresses, people may become more socially withdrawn, have trouble sleeping, and struggle with language and numbers. People in the advanced stage of the disease may be unaware of their environment and stop communicating.
Frontotemporal Dementia
60% of people with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are between the ages of 45 and 65. This condition results from damaged neurons found mostly in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
There are different types of frontotemporal dementia based on what symptoms happen first. For example, in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, people experience personality and behavioral changes. Meanwhile, primary progressive aphasia often affects communication. However, symptoms can present differently across different people, so diagnosis can sometimes be tricky.
Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia happens when there are problems with blood and oxygen flow in the brain. This can be caused by minor and major strokes. People with vascular dementia often have abnormalities in their brains that can be seen on an MRI.
Symptoms of vascular dementia include trouble with words, misplacing objects, getting lost, forgetting things that happened, and changes in personality and behavior. Vascular dementia symptoms can happen suddenly or gradually, and there may be brief periods when symptoms might get better.
Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy body dementia is linked to abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. It usually affects people over 50, but younger people can have it too.
Early symptoms include sleep problems, mood and vision changes, and issues with bowel movements. There are two forms of Lewy body dementia: dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Dementia & Age
Dementia typically affects people over 65. When it happens to someone under 65, it’s called early-onset dementia. People can be diagnosed with early-onset dementia in the 50s, 40s, and even 30s.
Early-onset dementia is often caused by the same things as regular dementia, but Huntington’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are more common among younger people with dementia. Early-onset dementia is also linked to stroke, atherosclerosis of blood vessels in the brain, substance abuse, and genetic disorders (eg. Huntington’s).
You may have heard of childhood dementia, which refers to brain disorders that have similar symptoms to dementia in older adults. However, childhood dementia is very rare, with untreatable forms affecting an estimated 1 out of 2,900 live births.
Early Dementia Signs
By learning how to recognize early signs of dementia, you can get medical support early and plan for the future. Some early signs of dementia to watch for include (but are not limited to):
- Short-term memory problems: This includes misplacing items or forgetting to finish a task, such as turning off an appliance after you’re done with it.
- Changes in personality or behavior: Depression, apathy, and withdrawal from activities can signal cognitive decline.
- Issues with language: Struggling with vocabulary, losing train of thought, and having trouble with following a conversation can be early signs of dementia.
- Poor decisions: People with dementia may seem impulsive with money. They may also have problems perceiving risk, such as walking into a busy street without looking out for traffic first.
If you suspect you or a loved one has early signs of dementia, be sure to consult with a healthcare provider. A dementia diagnosis can be overwhelming, but knowing about it early means you have more time to prepare.
Memory Care at Massey Springs Senior Living
Dementia can be a significant burden not only for the person affected, but for their loved ones too. That’s why some people choose professional services like memory care.
Benefits of memory care include professional support, services and amenities, meals, and engaging activities. Massey Springs Senior Living offers memory care services in Bowling Green, Kentucky for older adults with memory conditions like dementia. Explore what we offer in person by booking a tour today.