Dementia: Recognizing the Signs, Understanding the Types, and Knowing When to Seek Help

Dementia Signs and Symptoms: Types, Early Warning Signs, and Testing

Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It affects memory, thinking, judgment, language, and the ability to perform everyday activities. Although Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, several types of dementia can affect older adults.

Recognizing the early signs of dementia can help you get the right medical care sooner. Memory problems can also result from other conditions, including depression, hearing loss, vision problems, medication side effects, and vitamin deficiencies.

At Shafa Medical Clinic, we take a comprehensive approach to cognitive health, preventive medicine, and healthy aging.

What Are the Different Types of Dementia?

There are several types of dementia. Each affects the brain differently.

1. Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Early symptoms often involve short-term memory loss.

Common signs include:

• Repeating questions or stories
• Forgetting recent conversations
• Misplacing belongings
• Difficulty learning new information
• Forgetting appointments

As the disease progresses, a person may develop problems with judgment, language, and daily activities.

2. Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia develops when damage to the brain’s blood vessels affects cognitive function. It may occur after a stroke or develop gradually.

Risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, and cardiovascular disease.

Symptoms may include difficulty with planning, attention, decision-making, and processing information.

3. Lewy Body Dementia

Lewy body dementia can cause changes in attention, movement, sleep, and perception.

Symptoms may include visual hallucinations, fluctuating alertness, balance problems, muscle stiffness, and sleep disturbances.

4. Frontotemporal Dementia

Frontotemporal dementia often affects personality, behavior, judgment, or language before memory becomes a major concern.

A person may develop unusual behavior, reduced empathy, poor judgment, or difficulty speaking. This type of dementia can occur in younger adults as well as older adults.

5. Mixed Dementia

Some people have more than one type of dementia. For example, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular brain disease may occur together. This is called mixed dementia.

What Are the Early Signs of Dementia?

Occasionally forgetting a name or misplacing your keys can happen with normal aging. However, memory changes that become more frequent, progressively worsen, or interfere with daily life should be evaluated by a doctor.

Watch for these common dementia signs and symptoms:

• Repeatedly asking the same questions
• Forgetting recent conversations or events
• Getting lost in familiar places
• Difficulty managing medications or finances
• Trouble preparing familiar meals
• Missing appointments
• Difficulty finding common words
• Poor judgment or unusual decisions
• Changes in personality or behavior
• Withdrawal from family and social activities
• Increasing difficulty completing everyday tasks

One of the most important warning signs is losing the ability to manage familiar activities safely and independently.

Can Hearing Loss, Vision Problems, or Depression Cause Memory Loss?

Yes. Several conditions can cause or worsen memory and thinking problems. Not every memory problem means dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Before reaching a diagnosis, a doctor should consider other possible causes.

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can make conversations difficult to follow. A person may appear confused or forgetful because they did not hear the information clearly. A hearing evaluation may help identify this problem.

Vision Problems

Poor vision can affect reading, recognizing objects, navigating familiar surroundings, and completing daily activities. An eye examination may be appropriate when vision changes are suspected.

Depression

Depression can affect concentration, memory, motivation, sleep, and decision-making. Depression may resemble cognitive decline, and it can also occur alongside dementia.

Other Possible Causes

Additional contributors include:

• Medication side effects or interactions
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Thyroid problems
• Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Alcohol use
• Metabolic abnormalities
• Other medical conditions

Identifying and treating these problems may improve cognitive symptoms in some patients.

When Should You Take a Loved One to the Doctor?

You do not need to wait until symptoms become severe.

Schedule a medical appointment if your loved one has progressive memory loss, increasing confusion, personality changes, difficulty managing money or medications, new driving concerns, or trouble performing familiar tasks.

Bring a family member or caregiver to the appointment if possible. They can describe changes in memory, behavior, and daily functioning that the patient may not recognize.

Seek emergency medical care for sudden confusion or sudden neurological symptoms, such as facial drooping, weakness, difficulty speaking, or a severe headache. These may indicate a stroke or another urgent medical condition.

How Is Dementia Diagnosed?

There is no single test that diagnoses every type of dementia. A doctor may recommend several assessments based on the patient’s symptoms and medical history.

Medical history and medication review: The doctor reviews symptoms, medical conditions, medications, sleep, mood, and changes in daily activities.

Cognitive screening: Tests such as the Mini-Cog, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), or Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) can evaluate memory, attention, language, and other thinking skills. Screening results alone do not establish a diagnosis.

Blood tests: Depending on the patient, testing may include a complete blood count, metabolic panel, thyroid testing, vitamin B12, and other laboratory studies.

Hearing and vision evaluations: These help identify sensory problems that may contribute to communication difficulties or apparent cognitive decline.

Brain imaging: An MRI or CT scan may be recommended to look for strokes, vascular changes, structural abnormalities, or other possible causes.

Further testing or referral to a neurologist or memory specialist may be appropriate.

What Is the p-tau217 Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Disease?

The p-tau217 blood test measures phosphorylated tau 217, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In appropriate patients who have symptoms of cognitive impairment, certain blood-based Alzheimer’s biomarkers can help clinicians assess whether Alzheimer’s-related brain changes are likely present.

However, p-tau217 testing is not a general memory screening test. Results must be interpreted alongside symptoms, cognitive assessments, medical history, and other clinical findings. The appropriate test depends on the patient’s circumstances and the specific test’s validated use.

A positive result does not independently establish the full clinical diagnosis, and not every patient with memory concerns needs biomarker testing.

Discuss with your physician whether Alzheimer’s-related biomarker testing may be appropriate.

How Can a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit Help?

A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is an opportunity to review preventive health needs and discuss concerns about memory or thinking.

The visit includes detection of possible cognitive impairment and may address:

• Memory and cognitive concerns
• Depression risk
• Medication use
• Daily functioning and safety
• Fall risk
• Hearing and vision concerns
• Chronic disease risk factors
• Personalized preventive care

If cognitive concerns are identified, additional evaluation may be recommended. A separate diagnostic visit may be needed to investigate symptoms and develop a treatment plan.

Schedule Your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit at Shafa Medical Clinic

Changes in memory, judgment, or personality deserve attention, especially when they affect everyday life. Early evaluation can help identify potential causes, address treatable conditions, and guide the next steps in care.

At Shafa Medical Clinic, we focus on personalized primary care, preventive medicine, healthy aging, metabolic health, and longevity.

If you or a loved one is experiencing memory changes, schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns and determine whether further evaluation is needed.

Schedule your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit with Shafa Medical Clinic today. Taking the first step can help you better understand your cognitive health and plan for the future.

This article is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical evaluation or diagnosis.

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