People experiencing the early signs of dementiamay encounter symptoms that are easily overlooked or mistaken for other conditions. It's estimated that around a million Brits areliving with dementia,a figure projected to rise to 1.4 million within the next two decades.

Whilst thereis no known cure for dementia at present, understanding the disease and receiving an accurate diagnosis can significantly enhance a patient's quality of life. A proper diagnosis also paves the way for a wealth of support options and access to a care plan that offers comprehensive information about the condition, strategies for managing it, and potential access to a care home if necessary.

However, the initial step towards obtaining a correct dementia diagnosis involves recognising the signs of the disease and reporting them to your GP or another qualified healthcare professional. Regrettably, the early signs of dementia are often overlooked and could be wrongly attributed to conditions such as fatigue.

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The only surefire way to confirm whether you or someone you know has dementia is to consult a GP and inform them of the symptoms you're experiencing.

Guidance from the NHS highlights that dementia can affect everyone differently. Furthermore, symptoms from the condition may manifest at different times and in different ways.

Despite this, there are a number of common symptoms that people should keep an eye out for. This includes:

• Atruggling to follow a conversation or find the right word


• Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping


• Difficulty concentrating


• Being confused about time and place


• Mood changes


• Memory loss

These symptoms are generally referred to as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and may not be severe enough to be officially diagnosed as dementia. However, some people may experience these symptoms not going away or even worsening, with MCI developing into dementia.

It's crucial to remember that dementia is not considered a natural part of ageing and is classified as a health condition. Therefore, if you have any concerns about memory problems or any of the above symptoms, you should consult your GP.

Dementia is not technically a disease in itself, and a variety of symptoms may present themselves differently depending on the disease affecting the brain. For example, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia both have slightly different symptoms.

Full details of the variety of symptoms associated with different dementia diseases can be found on the NHS website here.