Dementia experts list 10 'red flag' symptoms that mean you should contact a GP
25.05.2022 - 15:03
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Alzheimer's experts have called attention to ten signs that could indicate dementia to look out for in everyday life.
The charity Alzheimer's Society is urging people to find the help they need as it is feared tens of thousands of people are living with undiagnosed dementia.
There are a whopping 900,000 people in the UK who have a form of dementia, according to the charity, but diagnosis rates are at a five-year low due to the pandemic.
Awareness goes beyond Dementia Action Week every mid-May, so the Alzheimer's experts have shared key indicators of possible dementia as shocking figures emerge about the scale of the condition, Manchester Evening News reports.
"Every three minutes in the UK someone develops dementia, but right now diagnosis rates are at a five-year low due to the pandemic," said Gill Lloyd, a dementia advisor for Alzheimer's Society in the Greater Manchester area.
"We know some people can be put off seeking a diagnosis for a number of reasons such as thinking memory loss is a normal part of ageing, they don't recognise the signs, or are just too afraid."
Dementia deaths are rising year on year, with 225,000 expected to develop dementia this year - that's one person every three minutes.
The charity says that asking the same question over again might not be 'called getting old', it might instead be 'called getting ill' and could be a sign of dementia.
The sooner people can get a dementia diagnosis, the sooner they can plan for the future and unlock the door to treatment, care and support, says charity experts.
Here's a list of signs courtesy of the Alzheimer's Society.
For someone with dementia, problems with memory and thinking get worse quicker than they would normally do with age, with noticeable decline