The little-known symptom of dementia you might spot while driving your car
ROUND 900,000 Britons are currently living with dementia.
And with an aging population, that number will continue to rise, as aging is the biggest risk factor for diagnosis.
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Dementia is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, causing pain and suffering for both the sufferer and those around them.
Until a cure is discovered, being able to detect the disease as early as possible gives people the best chance of managing and relieving symptoms.
Memory loss is a common sign that most people are familiar with.
But can you often tell someone’s dementia by the way they drive?
According to the National Institute on Aging As their driving behavior becomes more unsafe and unpredictable, those affected may receive many fines.
You could make dangerous mistakes on the road, such as confusing the brake and accelerator pedals, suddenly changing lanes, speeding, or driving too slowly.
New dents or scratches on the car or multiple near misses or accidents are obvious warning signs.
Likewise, running a simple errand and not being able to explain why takes a long time.
Simple and familiar tasks like driving a car can become challenging for people with dementia as brain function and cognitive activity decline.
These can come on suddenly or over time, causing simple tasks or basic routines to take an unexpected amount of thought and energy.
The risk of developing dementia can accumulate over a lifetime and is partly due to genetic factors that cannot be changed.
There is currently no cure or way to slow down the deadly disease that robs sufferers of their memory, intelligence and physical strength.
A dementia drug was shown to work this week in a “groundbreaking” clinical trial.
do i have dementia
Experts have developed a simple test that could detect dementia almost a decade before doctors notice symptoms.
Cambridge University experts say simple tests that test basic memory could be used to screen people and start treatment earlier.
Both tests rely on subtle differences that could easily be overlooked.
Trials of a drug called donanemab have shown that it slows the disease – which “heralds a new era in which it may become treatable”.
According to the NHS, other early signs of the condition include:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- You find it difficult to do familiar everyday tasks, such as B. not being sure which small change is the right one when shopping
- Difficulty following a conversation or finding the right word
- Confusion about time and place
- mood swings
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone experiences symptoms in their own way.