What happens if dementia isn’t diagnosed?
Following an assessment, the health professional will offer a feedback appointment where support will be given so that individuals understand and make sense of what is causing their difficulties. This appointment will include an array of advice and signposting to other sources of support as there are many different factors that can cause or contribute to memory problems. Some of these include:
- Sleep
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Physical health
- Post-COVID
- Medication
- Alcohol and substance use
Sleep
Everyone has times where they struggle to get to sleep, or wake in the night, but these can usually resolve themselves. If they experience longer periods of time where they have poor sleep it can start to impact day-to-day functioning, attention, concentration and memory.
Poor sleep is when people do not have enough sleep, or do not have enough good quality sleep. This includes broken or disrupted sleep, difficulty getting to sleep, and struggling to maintain a sleep pattern. It is recommended that adults get between 7-9 hours sleep each night.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Anxiety is a feeling of unease that everyone can experience from time to time. People may feel anxious when worried, tense or afraid. Anxiety can impact thoughts, feelings and physical sensations.
Anxiety disrupts the way the brain processes information and this means that people may struggle to pay attention or take information in. It can also be harder for the brain to switch between tasks or correct mistakes.
Stress is a natural response when people feel under pressure or threatened. Everyone experiences stress from time to time and it usually happens at times when people feel things are out of their control, or they are struggling to manage. When stress is experienced, it can impact memory and cognition. If an individual is stressed over a prolonged period of time, it can have a significant impact on their ability to make and store new memories.
Everyone can experience times in life when they feel low in mood or depressed. During these times people may struggle to do the things they would normally do and may find themselves feeling withdrawn and lacking the energy to participate in or enjoy things they normally would. Low mood and depression can impact memory and the way information in taken in.
Everyone can experience difficult life events. Stressful, distressing and frightening events are sometimes described as trauma. Traumatic events can happen to anyone, at any age, and trauma may be caused by one-off events, repeated events, or events occurring over a long period of time.
Everyone’s response to trauma can be different, and trauma can affect how people feel, think, and relate to others. It is common to experience nightmares, flashbacks, feeling upset when reminded of what has happened, wanting to avoid thoughts and conversations about the event(s), feeling numb, and experiencing fluctuations in mood. These are normal reactions to distressing experiences and should get better with time.
If an individual continues to have these difficulties or they are concerned, it is recommended that they seek support through their GP.
Grief affects everyone differently and impacts emotionally, mentally and physically. When a person has been bereaved, they may experience changes in their appetite and sleeping patterns, and have emotional reactions such as shock, pain, anger, sadness, guilt, and depression. These responses are normal. They may find it helpful to access support and can find further information on the following websites.
Physical health
There are a number of different physical health factors that can have an impact on memory, therefore it is important that an individual looks after their physical health and alerts their GP or health professional of any changes that concern them. Looking after health includes receiving continued support and management of any existing physical health conditions.
Other issues related to physical health, which may impact an individual's memory could include:
When pain is experienced, it can be harder to pay attention, to hold information, or to recall things.
If medication is being used to support with pain, side effects of the medication may also impact memory. If side effects are present, it is important to discuss this with the GP or Pharmacist.
During menopause, women experience changes in their hormone levels. This can cause a range of symptoms including brain fog and difficulties with memory and cognition.
Delirium is a sudden change in a person’s mental state that can cause confusion and memory issues and changes in emotion and consciousness. Delirium is a sign that someone is physically unwell and is a medical emergency. If someone is experiencing delirium, it is important to seek help from a medical professional immediately. When delirium is treated, these symptoms should alleviate.
When people are very poorly, they may be cared for on ICU. During this time they are likely to be very unwell and they may find that this and other factors such as medications may result in poor memory. When leaving ICU, they may continue to experience difficulties with memory and cognition, but this should improve over time. It is important to remember that when leaving hospital, people may still be recovering and it may take a while before they are back to full health.
What individuals eat and drink impacts the way the brain functions. A diet that is high in sugar and fat or that is deficient in nutrients can be detrimental for memory function. Long-term nutrient deficiency can be linked to damage to the brain which may impair memory and cognition.
It is also important to drink enough water and stay hydrated in order for the brain to function well.
Post-COVID Syndrome
Many people experience cognitive issues as well as physical symptoms when they have had COVID-19. This is normal and although some difficulties may take longer than others to recover from, there are things can be done, and health should improve over time.
These cognitive symptoms commonly include:
- Brain fog
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering
- Cognitive fatigue
- Word finding difficulties
- Read about the long-term effects of coronavirus (long COVID) on the NHS website.
- Long COVID | Your COVID Recovery
Medication
Medication can have a range of side effects. Some medications, especially those given for pain, may impact an individual's memory and cognition. It is important to take medication as prescribed and ensure that medication is reviewed regularly to minimise adverse effects.
If an individual is concerned about the impact of their medications, they must contact their Pharmacist or GP for advice.
Alcohol and substance use
Both short term and long-term drinking can impact memory and cognition. Heavy and regular drinking is particularly dangerous as this can cause damage to the brain.
Many legal and illegal substances can alter how the brain and body operate, including memory.
If an individual feels that they are struggling to manage their alcohol or drug use they can find further information here:
