Ever had a senior moment? You found yourself holding the phone and couldn’t remember who you wanted to call? Or you blanked out on your new neighbor’s name?
Many times when we experience these little signs of forgettery (yes that’s a real word!) we immediately start worrying that dementia is knocking on the door.
The truth is, minor forgetfulness is completely normal. It doesn’t even have to be related to aging; you’ve probably misplaced your car keys or forgotten the name of your best friend’s dog when you were younger too. But when we age, and the specters of dementia and Alzheimer’s loom, every small incident seems like a warning sign.
Here’s how you can differentiate between everyday forgetfulness and major memory problems:
Normal: You sometimes forget a name, detail, or what you were about to do. Most of the time, you’ll remember it later.
Worrisome: Your memory loss disrupts your daily life. You forgot your anniversary or your child’s name, and you rely heavily on others to remember things you used to manage on your own.
Normal: You occasionally miss a bill payment or make a mistake while balancing your checkbook.
Worrisome: You suddenly or gradually lose the ability to follow a plan or work with numbers. Completing a Sudoku puzzle takes much longer than it used to, or following a recipe has become impossible.
Normal: Every now and then you need help with new technology or an appliance you’re not used to.
Worrisome: You can’t remember how to use the washing machine you’ve had for 23 years.
Normal: You might occasionally think it’s Tuesday when it’s really Wednesday, but you realize your mistake soon after.
Worrisome: You’re constantly losing track of the time and date. You can’t wrap your mind around phrases like “next week” or “in half a year.”
Normal: You sometimes have to grope for the right word, and substitute something else if you can’t remember the word you wanted.
Worrisome: Word retrieval becomes so difficult for you that you can’t follow a conversation. You may also repeat yourself a lot while searching for your next words.
Normal: Occasionally you misplace something, but you can usually find it if you retrace your steps.
Worrisome: You put things in unusual places—such as stowing your shoes in the fridge—and can’t find them until they turn up weeks later.
Normal: You sometimes make bad decisions and later regret it.
Worrisome: You lose the ability to accurately judge situations. You may make dangerous decisions, such as crossing a busy street against the light.
If you find yourself or your loved one is showing a lot of worrisome symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible. The earlier you diagnose dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the better your chances of slowing its progression.