Dementia refers to a cluster of symptoms linked to an ongoing cognitive decline.
While the greatest known risk for dementia is increasing age, this condition is not considered a normal part of ageing.
Being able to spot the warning signs can buy you precious time to intervene early, making symptom awareness front and centre.
Fortunately, Bernadette Mossman, dementia expert and Healthcare Director at Vida Healthcare, shared a red flag that can crop up in the earliest stages.
According to the expert, people with the brain condition may experience visual difficulties but still have healthy eyes.
Mossman told Express.co.uk: “Another less common symptom is sudden vision loss which can be caused by Alzheimer’s disease, a subtype of dementia.
“In the earliest stages of the disease, some may find it difficult to read small text and also skip lines when reading.”
This warning sign is clinically known as “reduced gaze” and alters people’s ability to move their eyes normally.
You are probably used to moving your eyes a lot and tracking different things with them frequently, but people with dementia can struggle with this.
While this could be one of the earliest signs of the mind-robbing condition, the person suffering from it might not be completely aware.
“This may be noticed by others as it may mean the individual looks like they are staring,” Mossman added.
Furthermore, the expert shared that this sign may not be identified as “easily” as signs like memory loss and confusion.
According to the NHS, other early signs of dementia worth knowing include:
- 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.
The health service recommends speaking to a GP “sooner rather than later” if you’re worried about memory problems or other symptoms of the brain condition.