Dementia is a fairly widespread disease that affects almost a million people. According to the NHS (British National Health Service), every 11th person over the age of 65 suffers from it. It is a progressive syndrome associated with ongoing brain decline. According to the journal, it can result in symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty thinking and behavioral changes.
However, one of the experts warned that the symptoms of dementia can also appear in an unlikely way – in the eyes. Dr. Jørn Slot Jørgensen, a leading ophthalmologist at the Laser Eye Clinic in London, in an interview with the Express portal, urged people to go for regular eye examinations for this reason.
“Some people think that a visit to an ophthalmologist is only necessary if you have an eye disease or need vision correction. This is a misconception that also applies to health situations in general. In fact, an ophthalmologist may be the first doctor to diagnose this serious problem because the initial symptoms may appear in the eye,” he explained.
Dr. Jørgensen listed the following symptoms that you should definitely pay close attention to:
- Changes in vision – patients with dementia may have difficulties with visual perception, including problems with estimating distances or identifying colors and contrasts.
- Difficulty reading or writing – dementia can lead to problems with reading comprehension, writing coherently or understanding symbols and numbers.
- Visual hallucinations – some people with dementia may experience visual hallucinations.
- Impaired visual memory – remembering faces, places or objects can be difficult for people with dementia.
Although vision changes may be the first warning signs, they may go unnoticed for some time. Dr. Jørgensen said the onset of these symptoms can vary from person to person.
“In some cases, these symptoms may be subtle and may not be immediately recognizable. However, in other cases, they may be noticeable enough to warrant further investigation. If you notice any warning signs, it is essential to take immediate action and contact your doctor.” added Jørgensen.
The most common symptoms of dementia are:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- difficulty carrying out familiar everyday tasks, such as confusion when finding small coins when shopping,
- difficulty following a conversation or finding the right word,
- confusion in determining time and place
- mood swings.
One study from the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences found that retinal scans can reveal key changes in blood vessels that can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The most widespread genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease is a variant of the APOE gene, known as APOE4. We still don’t fully understand how this variant increases the risk of brain degeneration, we only know that it does and that the risk varies by gender, race and lifestyle. Our research provides new insight into how APOE4 affects blood vessels and may provide a path to early detection of neurodegenerative disease,” said study lead author Fanny Elahi.
