Is Your Memory Loss Normal For Your Age or a Sign of Dementia?



Memory slips, mixing up words, and struggling to focus can be a normal part of aging, but they can also be signs of dementia. Forgetfulness is a nuisance that affects everyone at some point, but the frequency and severity are key signs of whether they could be a symptom of dementia. Common signs of aging include forgetting something you were told a while ago, misplacing objects like your cellphone from time to time, taking longer to work out new tasks, and struggling to come up with words or names you’re familiar with. On the other hand, memory problems that interfere with normal daily life and activities are not considered normal aging. Forgetting where you put your glasses is a simple sign of forgetfulness, disorganization, or normal aging; however, forgetting what your glasses are used for or that they are worn on your face is not a normal memory problem. The charts shown below will give you a better idea of what’s normal aging and what could be dementia.