Memory lapse or Dementia
Forgetfulness, lack of attention, difficulty in multitasking all are signs of ageing. With time as we grow old, our organs too get old and find it difficult to perform the task as efficiently as it used to in the beginning. All these can not be confused with dementia.
Dementia is a chronic mental condition that primarily affects people who are 65 years and above. It is an umbrella term used to define several mental health conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease and others. They are no cure to treat dementia or reduce the symptoms. Moreover, the condition gets worse with time.
Memory loss due to ageing and dementia are two contrasting health issues. Their symptoms certainly overlap, but dementia is a severe and serious mental condition. Everyone in their old age tends to forget things and events, that does not mean they are suffering from dementia.
It is quite easy to differentiate if your habit of forgetfulness is just due to ageing or a sign of early dementia. Here are five ways dementia is different from memory lapse.
Forgetting things and cannot find them where you kept it
A busy morning and stressed day may make anyone feel lost and confused. You may keep the keys or the document at the wrong place at night and fail to find it in the morning when you are in a rush. As a result, you might have to struggle in the morning trying to recall your steps. It is normal and happens with everyone. What is not normal is when you are not able to recall even after spending hours looking for it. Or you start suspecting others without evidence and it becomes an everyday thing.
Forgetting way to home
It might be difficult to find a route to a place which is unfamiliar in case of memory lapse due to ageing. In case of dementia, people forget the way to their homes. Even if they have been to the nearby park they might forget where they exactly are and how to go back home. In several cases, a person suffering from dementia may keep passing from the same place and still not find the way to home.
Forgetting word and topic of discussion
To conclude a conversation with a dementia patient is quite difficult and time taking. In the middle of the conversation, they may find it difficult to recall the word they wanted to use in a particular sentence. They may even forget the topic of discussion or the statement made by the other person. This may take time to conclude a conversation. Dementia patients also find it hard to put their thoughts on paper.
Losing track of time and day
It is common to get confused with the date and day, especially when you spend most of the time in your house. The symptoms of dementia are more severe than this. People might have confusion with the year and even find it hard to figure out how much time has passed between two events. It is also common with dementia patients to forget their appointments with doctors or name of an individual.
Difficulty in calculation
For people suffering from mental conditions, even making simple calculations like counting money looks like a mountainous task. They may often give more money or less money in the grocery store and even after a detailed explanation they might not be able to identify their mistake. Solving simple puzzles or calculations also becomes difficult for them, which is not common in the case of memory lapse.