LAST minute Christmas shopping is a nightmare for anyone.
But if you find yourself particularly affected by the mad rush this year, it could suggest you need to see a doctor.
Many early-onset dementia symptoms can surface at stressful times, and racing through crowded streets before the big day is certainly taxing.
Around 900,000 Brits are living with dementia, and it’s the leading cause of death in the UK.
It’s generally considered an older person’s condition, but symptoms can surface between the ages of 45 and 65, and even as young as 30.
Here, we take a look at nine dementia signs that you might notice in the shops over the festive period.
1. Forgetfulness
Dementia is often associated with full-blown memory loss.
But an early sign of the condition can be slight forgetfulness, which is easy to brush aside.
This could be misplacing essential items like your keys, but it may also be forgetting what you had for breakfast, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
While Christmas shopping, you might not be able to remember who you’re supposed to be buying presents for, or which gifts you’ve already wrapped at home.
2. Difficulties counting
In today’s world, many people don’t carry any cash at all, relying solely on their contactless debit and credit cards.
But if you do pay for anything with bank notes or coins over Christmas and you find yourself more than a little confused, it might be wise to book a GP appointment in the New Year.
Having trouble counting change, or being able to recognise different coins and notes, is common in dementia sufferers.
It can start out subtle but worsen over time and have a significant impact on people’s lives.
The NHS says: “Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping, may appear some time before a diagnosis of dementia.”
3. Confusion
Another tell-tale sign is confusion over times and places.
This could be where to meet a friend for a Christmas coffee, or what time you leave the house to see your relatives.
Struggling to remember familiar routes, like the directions to your parent’s house, is also cause for concern, experts say.
4. Irritability
Most people will feel slightly irritated and impatient when navigating busy high streets in the run-up to Christmas.
But severe emotions, or ones that are particularly out of character, can also indicate early-onset dementia.
Sufferers may not be able to spot this themselves, but family members usually can.
The Alzheimer’s Society says: “A person with dementia may feel agitated or irritable, fidget, tap their fingers or make other repetitive movements.
“They may also walk up and down, move objects around or fixate on tasks. These behaviours are known as ‘restlessness’.”
5. Planning and organisation problems
This is often more common in the later stages of dementia, but people may develop “increasing difficulties with concentrating, planning and organising”, the charity says.
From the presents to the shopping list for Christmas dinner, December is obviously a time that involves plenty of prep.
So be aware of issues that revolve around this, such as not being able to concentrate for very long.
6. Falls
People with a cognitive impairment like dementia are at greater risk of falling and sustaining a serious injury, Dementia UK warns.
This is linked to some of the other symptoms of the condition, such as difficulties with:
- Judgment
- Sensory perception
- Mobility and coordination
- Communicating their needs
“Falls may indicate that someone is living with overall physical frailty,” the charity adds.
“This is particularly true for older people, although people with young onset dementia (where symptoms develop before the age of 65) can also become frail.”
7. Bumping into people
Similarly to falls, poor spatial awareness can cause clumsiness, such as bumping into other people and standing too close to them.
The Alzheimer’s Society says: “A person with dementia may have ‘visuospatial difficulties’, when the brain has problems processing information about 3D objects.
“This can affect a person’s spatial awareness or the ability to judge distances.
“They may have difficulties using stairs, parking a car or recognising objects.”
8. Walking slowly
Research published in JAMA Network Open shows that a slower walking pace could be an early indication of cognitive decline and dementia.
This may take some time to notice, but it’s an important factor in the disease.
9. Rash decisions
When you’re rushing to buy Christmas presents at the eleventh hour, it can be easy to make snap decisions.
But rash actions that are out of character can be cause for concern as they occur in some people with dementia.
Other examples include dressing inappropriately for the weather outside (such as shorts and flip flops in December), or suddenly deciding to take your belongings to a charity shop.
Symptoms specific to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, include:
- Asking questions repetitively
- Confusion in unfamiliar environments
- Difficulty finding the right words
- Becoming withdrawn
- Forgetting the names of places and objects
- Having trouble thinking of the right word
- Becoming less flexible and more hesitant to try new things
- Obsessive behaviour
- Disturbed sleep
- Delusions or feeling paranoid
- Hallucinations
What is dementia?
THE word ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
Dementia is progressive, which means symptoms may be relatively mild at first, but they get worse over time.
It is not, however, a natural part of ageing. It happens hen a disease damages nerve cells in the brain.
There are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia. It mainly affects people over the age of 65.
The likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly with age.
One in 14 people aged over 65 has dementia. This rises to one in six for people aged over 80.
When it affects younger people, it is known as young-onset, or early-onset, dementia.
Around one in 20 people with dementia are younger than 65.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
