As with many chronic illnesses, early diagnosis is crucial to treating dementia and Alzheimer's. It can, however, be difficult to distinguish between normal aging and the warning signs of dementia. For example, it is completely natural to suffer minor lapses in memory as one gets older, but when these lapses become both frequent and disruptive, you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of early-stage dementia.
The most telling sign of early-stage dementia is when friends and family members begin to notice one's memory problems. These could range from forgetting common words to misplacing belongings to forgetting people's names. Another symptom is difficulty in performing work-related or social tasks, especially when it comes to remembering written or verbal instructions.
This stage of dementia is known as that of mild cognitive decline. At this point, it is possible for a doctor to make a diagnosis, although this is not always the case. Again, dementia is not always distinguishable from normal ageing.
By the time one reaches the early stage of dementia, a medical evaluation can lead conclusively to a diagnosis. The individual may still be able to function on his or her own, but he or she will have increasing problems with planning, organizing, and carrying out complex activities. As memory capacity begins to erode, the sufferer will have more and more difficulty remembering recent events and information. They might retain an excellent memory of events in the distant past, but not be able to remember meeting someone the day before. Memory loss affects everyone differently, however, so there are no foolproof warning signs for the beginning of this process.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia, whether in its early stages or otherwise. Treatments are available, however. These range from counseling to caregiving to medication.
Medication cannot reverse dementia, but it can alleviate the symptoms of confusion, depression, and anxiety that accompany the illness. In some cases, the onset of dementia may be caused by a brain tumor, in which case surgery may be an option.
Counseling is an important component of treating early-stage dementia, since the sufferer is still cognizant enough to benefit from it. Coming to terms with the condition can be an extremely painful process, and in addition to counseling, the patient will need a great deal of support from loved ones.
Caregiving is not generally needed in the early stages of dementia, but following a diagnosis, the patient and his or her family must begin to plan for the future. The course of the illness is irreversible, so the patient should be as involved as possible with making decisions that will affect them as their symptoms worsen.
It is also necessary for the caregivers, especially if they are family members, to seek support of their own. Caring for someone with dementia is difficult, too, and the caregivers must be sure to take care of themselves to ensure they can take care of the patient.
One way caregivers can help alleviate the patient's anxiety over his or her memory loss is to focus on those things which he or she can remember. As noted above, sufferers of early-stage dementia will most likely be able to remember events from the distant past. Simply engaging in conversations about those events can greatly ease the anxiety one feels with the loss of his or her memory.
Because of the difficulty of detecting early-stage dementia, the best strategy is to schedule regular checkups with your physician. The more advance warning you have, the more readily you will be able to make decisions regarding your treatment.