Many people conclude they have dementia immediately after diagnosing memory loss. Memory loss can vary in severity from one patient to another and depends on the cause of the condition. Only a doctor can diagnose whether you have dementia or mild or moderate memory loss after looking at the symptoms. Here are the important memory loss symptoms:
Common Memory Loss Symptoms
1. Short-Term Memory Loss
Many memory loss patients often experience a change in their short-term memory. Short-term memory loss is one of the common memory loss symptoms. The change is subtle, and the condition can be diagnosed if the patient is able to remember things from years ago but not what had happened the day before. Other symptoms of short-term memory loss include forgetting why they entered a specific room and struggling to remember things they planned to do on a particular day.
2. Trouble Communicating Your Thoughts
If you have trouble finding the right words or communicating your thoughts, chances are you have memory loss. Patients with severe memory loss often find it difficult to explain things. Also, if you or your loved one has difficulty expressing himself or herself, it is a sign of memory loss.
3. Mood Swings
Mood swings are also the sign of memory loss. If a person’s mood changes continuously, it will affect his personality as well. For example, if someone is an introvert and suddenly becomes sociable and then again shy, he or she might be having memory loss because the condition affects his or her judgment. Untreated memory loss generating from mood swings can also lead to depression, which will make the memory loss worse.
4. Indifference
When a person has no feelings or is not interested in activities, people, or hobbies, it is an early symptom of memory loss. Patients with memory loss often avoid socializing or going out and enjoying things. They also avoid meeting their friends and family. In other words, they become emotionally cold.
5. Trouble Doing Routine Activities
Memory loss patients may have trouble performing their daily tasks. The changes are subtle in most cases. The condition kicks in with trouble performing complex activities and slowly becomes more apparent even in small tasks. For instance, a person with memory loss may have difficulty playing a game that involves many rules.
6. Confusion
Confusion is yet another sign of memory loss. The patient may experience interruptions in processing information, thinking, and judging, which may trigger confusion. For example, the person may be frequently confused when people talk to him or her. Also, they would not remember people they have met in the past.
