1.4m in UK to have dementia by 2040 - difference between memory loss and forgetfulness

The wellness adept appeared connected BBC Morning Live to explicate the symptoms (Image: BBC)

BBC Morning Live prima Dr Xand has explained the cardinal symptoms of dementia arsenic the fig of UK cases is expected to emergence to 1.4 cardinal by 2040. Speaking to TV presenters Helen Skelton and Gordon Smart, the wellness adept listed differences betwixt forgetfulness and representation loss, and informing signs to ticker retired for. 

The Alzheimer's Society says: "There are presently estimated to beryllium 982,000 radical surviving with dementia successful the UK, and this is projected to emergence to 1.4 cardinal successful 2040. The standard and the request to prevent, diagnose, support, unrecorded and dice good with dementia volition lone go greater."

Data from the foundation besides shows 1 successful 3 radical calved successful the UK contiguous volition make dementia successful their lifetime. There are besides implicit 70,000 radical surviving with young onset dementia – wherever symptoms make earlier the property of 65. 

A spokesperson added: "Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. Dementia is not a mean portion of ageing, and it's not conscionable astir forgetting things. It is simply a radical of symptoms caused by antithetic diseases that harm the brain."

Common symptoms that tin get worse implicit clip include:

• memory loss
• confusion and needing assistance with regular tasks
• problems with connection and understanding
• changes successful behaviour

To assistance radical recognize the quality betwixt ageing and dementia, Dr Xand shared a database of communal age-related representation changes. He told viewers: " Forgetting the names of radical you don't cognize well. Misplacing items astir the house. Missing the occasional assignment oregon birthday.

"Not being capable to find the close words. Struggling with caller exertion and trouble taking successful caller information. All of those things are precise common."

He went on: "Age is simply a factor, but medication, sleep, hormonal changes, tiredness, depression, anxiety, each these tin interaction your short-term representation overmuch more... and are a precise mean portion of ageing." 

Dr Hilary lists the aboriginal symptoms of dementia

In presumption of the informing signs of dementia, Dr Xand began by stressing the value of seeing a doctor, arsenic lone a GP tin supply an authoritative diagnosis. He past shared respective imaginable indicators of the condition.

"Forgetting precocious learned information. Asking the aforesaid questions implicit and implicit again. If you don't callback a conversation, adjacent erstwhile you are reminded.

"Misunderstanding instructions that are written down. Dramatic changes successful behaviour and disorder and needing assistance with regular tasks. All those things suggest you mightiness request to speech to your GP" helium said. 

Dr Xand mentioned that radical who are disquieted astir a loved 1 should sojourn the Alzheimer's Society's website and usage its dementia symptoms checklist, which is endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners. "It is precise casual to use," Dr Xand added.

"It is simply a bid of questions... What it does is it gives you thing you tin people retired oregon instrumentality a representation of, bring to your GP and say, 'look, present is what I americium disquieted about, I've done this quiz, tin we speech done it?'" 

Diagnosing dementia isn't arsenic elemental arsenic relying connected 1 test. Typically, it involves a operation of assorted assessments and tests. These whitethorn see evaluations of cognitive abilities and encephalon imaging, but the circumstantial attack tin disagree from idiosyncratic to person.

The foundation says: "For immoderate people, getting a dementia diagnosis tin beryllium rather elemental and instrumentality conscionable a fewer weeks. For others it tin instrumentality overmuch longer - sometimes much than a year.

"An aboriginal and close dementia diagnosis is vital. It gives radical entree to the care, attraction and enactment they desperately need. Yet 1 successful 3 radical successful England and Northern Ireland and an estimated 1 successful 2 successful Wales with dementia bash not person a diagnosis."

Dementia comes successful assorted forms, with Alzheimer's illness being the astir prevalent. Following intimately down is vascular dementia, which is the 2nd astir communal type.

There is nary cure for Alzheimer's illness oregon immoderate different benignant of dementia. Existing drugs disposable successful the UK only treat the symptoms of dementia. They bash not dainty the basal origin of the diseases that origin dementia, and truthful bash not dilatory down however rapidly it gets worse.