September 21 is recognized as World Alzheimer’s Day, a day aimed at increasing awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, a leading cause of dementia among older adults. When we think of Alzheimer’s, we often picture a range of symptoms tied to cognitive decline. It’s essential to understand that dementia is a more expansive term that includes various cognitive impairments stemming from different causes.
As children, we naturally find ourselves concerned about our parents’ health, and dementia often looms as one of the most frightening issues related to aging. Today, we will explore several pressing questions surrounding this topic:
Is forgetfulness synonymous with dementia? Is aging closely linked to dementia? What proactive measures can we take in our daily lives to prevent or lessen symptoms?
First, let’s clarify that forgetfulness does not necessarily mean dementia. While it’s true that forgetfulness can be associated with aging, many older adults might have fleeting moments of forgetfulness—like struggling to recall what they had for breakfast or the names of familiar people they encounter. However, if they can remember these details with a little help from family, this is usually just a normal part of aging. Although they might forget minor things, their judgment and reasoning capabilities typically remain intact, and they still have a clear understanding of time and space. In these instances, families usually don’t need to worry excessively.
It’s crucial to differentiate between age-related memory decline and dementia symptoms. For example, if someone insists they haven’t eaten breakfast despite just having done so, or confuses a friend with a stranger, these situations are more indicative of typical cognitive decline associated with dementia.
As dementia progresses, older adults may increasingly forget important events, even failing to remember recent conversations or activities—despite reminders. They might start by misplacing common items, but over time, they can become more disoriented even in familiar settings, potentially leading to a point where they no longer recognize family or even themselves. Their grasp of time and space may weaken, making simple daily tasks difficult.
This comparison highlights that while both conditions involve “forgetting,” dementia’s implications go far beyond ordinary memory lapses tied to aging.
What are the early signs of dementia? Beyond noticeable memory loss, dementia can emerge with other early symptoms that deserve our attention. During medical appointments, some individuals might repeatedly seek reassurance from family members, asking, “Is this how I am?” or “Did I really do that?” Such questions can be strong indicators of memory impairment. In the initial stages, individuals experiencing memory loss may feel increasingly uncertain and begin to rely on others for validation of their memories.
A straightforward self-test for dementia can be conducted at home for those who are concerned but unable to see a doctor. One effective method is the clock-drawing test.
To perform this test, you only need a blank piece of paper and a pen—make sure there are no clocks or time indicators nearby. The task is simple: draw a clock face, label the numbers, and set the time to 10:10 using the hands. Complete this within 15 minutes without consulting a clock. If the individual refers to a timepiece, it could be a sign of potential dementia.
If the test-taker shows any of the following issues, it might be time to seriously consider the possibility of dementia: a clock that’s too small, reversed or missing numbers, an excessive number of digits, numbers arranged improperly, incorrect placement of the hands, or multiple hands on the clock as if it were a digital display.
While displaying any of these signs doesn’t confirm dementia, their presence may suggest a higher risk than the general population.
Can dementia be prevented? According to the World Health Organization, there are guidelines for preventing dementia that identify 12 risk factors. They stress the importance of maintaining a balanced diet, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, participating in cognitive training, fostering strong social connections, and effectively managing underlying health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes to help combat cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.
This valuable information comes from Public Health magazine and features insights from Yang Lina, an expert at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital. The review was conducted by He Jinting, a member of the National Health Science Popularization Expert Database and head of the Neurology Department at Jilin University’s China-Japan Friendship Hospital.
