The term ’dementia’ describes a set of symptoms which include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with
communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, and when damage is caused by a series of small strokes.
Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual person and what type of dementia they have. Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way.
Symptoms of dementia may include the following:
- Loss of memory − this particularly affects short-term memory, for example forgetting what happened earlier in the day, not being able to recall conversations, being repetitive or forgetting the way home from the shops. Long-term memory is usually still quite good.
- Mood changes − people with dementia may be withdrawn, sad, frightened or angry about what is happening to them.
- Communication problems − including problems finding the right words for things, for example describing the function of an item instead of naming it.
For more information please read our patient leaflet about Dementia.
