If someone you know displays symptoms of dementia you need to seek medical help.
A lesser known symptom of dementia could appear when talking, according to experts. The affected person may start to use unusual wording and phrasing that is worth looking out for.
Dementia is a syndrome, or a group of associated symptoms, linked to the ongoing decline of the brain. Some of the better known signs include memory loss and behavioural changes.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that more than 55 million people currently have dementia worldwide, with this figure growing every year. While there is no cure for the condition, spotting the symptoms sooner rather than later can ensure you are able to get the support and treatment needed.
One such symptom could appear during conversation. The Alzheimer’s Association explains: “People living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia may have trouble following or joining a conversation.
“They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves.” Even more specifically, they may “struggle” with vocabulary and have trouble naming a familiar object or use the wrong name.
The organisation gives an example of this, saying that someone with dementia could call a “watch” a “hand-clock”. However, sometimes having trouble “finding the right word”, is usually just a sign of a typical age-related memory problem.
The Alzheimer’s Society also states that dementia can affect how a person communicates and the language they use. As an example of this they may use a related word such as “book” instead of “newspaper”.
They might also use substitutes for words, such as “thing that you sit on” instead of “chair”. The charity adds that people with dementia may:
- Not find any word at all
- Not struggle to find words, but use words that have no meaning, or that are jumbled up in the wrong order
- Go back to the first language they learned as a child.
On top of this, dementia affects the way a person thinks, which can impact on their ability to respond appropriately or follow a conversation. This could be because they:
- Do not understand what you have said
- Are not able to keep focused
- Are thinking more slowly
- Are unable to put the correct words together as a reply.
The society adds: “For example, they may take longer to process thoughts and work out how to respond to what is being said. They may also move from one topic to another without finishing a sentence as it becomes harder for them to focus.”
The NHS lists the “common” early signs of dementia as:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and place
- Mood changes.
If you or someone you know displays symptoms you should speak to a doctor.
