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Dementia is the name given to a group of symptoms linked to an ongoing decline in brain function. You could be at risk of the neurodegenerative condition if you find small changes to your usual mood.
There are a number of different types of dementia, and the most common in the UK is Alzheimer’s disease.
Diagnosing the condition early could help to slow down the condition’s progress.
Making some small lifestyle changes could lower your chances of developing Alzheimer’s in later life.
One of the key early warning signs of dementia is unexplained mood changes.
Many dementia patients find that they experience emotional and changes over a short space of time, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.
Patients may become more emotional than normal, or similarly, they may become less emotional than they’re used to.
It’s completely normal to have subtle changes to your mood on occasion.
But, if you start to notice unexplained mood change to your personality, or to someone that you know, you should consider speaking to a doctor.
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“Every person is unique and dementia affects people differently – no two people will have symptoms that develop in exactly the same way,” it said.
“Symptoms vary between Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, but there are broad similarities between them all.
“Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. A person with dementia may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason.
“Alternatively a person with dementia may show less emotion than was usual previously.”
But just because you develop mood changes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have dementia.
Mood changes may be triggered by diet, stress, sleeping habits, or even some medications.
They’re completely normal on occasion, but unpredictable behaviour should be seen by a doctor.
The symptom may also be caused by bipolar disorder, depression, or hormonal changes.
There’s no certain way to prevent dementia from developing, but there are ways to lower your risk, said the NHS.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet should help to lower your chances of developing dementia.
It’s also important to do enough exercise. Everyone should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.
There are around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia, and the condition affects one in every six people over 80 years old.
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