(HealthDay News) -- Dementia is more than just ordinary forgetfulness or inability to remember. It can also affect a person's personality, communication skills, and even mood.
Here are common symptoms of dementia, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
- Recent memory loss, not just forgetfulness.
- Problems remembering how to do everyday tasks.
- Forgetting words or appropriate grammar.
- Poor judgment, such as forgetting to wear a coat in cold weather.
- Getting lost, or not remembering how to get home.
- Difficulty understanding abstract concepts, like math.
- Moodiness, drastic changes in personality, or sudden loss of interest in activities.
Not every person with dementia has all of these symptoms, the academy says.
