Forgetting someone’s name. Walking into a room and forgetting why you went there. Spending a few extra minutes looking for your keys.
These things happen to almost everyone, especially as we get older. But there is a point when memory and thinking changes start to feel different not because of one forgotten name or misplaced item, but because they happen more often and begin getting in the way of everyday life.
What deserves attention is a change that keeps happening or gradually gets worse. When that happens, it is worth talking with a healthcare professional.
1. Driving Suddenly Becomes Different
Sometimes the first thing family members notice has nothing to do with memory. It is the way someone drives.
A person who has been driving safely for years may suddenly collect new dents or scratches on the car, have near misses, change lanes unexpectedly, or drive much faster or slower than usual. The NIA also points to problems such as confusing the brake and gas pedals or taking an unusually long time to complete a familiar errand.
These changes can be particularly noticeable because driving requires several skills at once attention, judgment, memory and the ability to respond to what is happening on the road.
The bigger concern is a new pattern of unusual driving behavior, particularly when it is noticeably different from how the person used to drive.
2. You Keep Forgetting Recently Learned Information
Not remembering something that happened years ago is not quite the same as repeatedly forgetting something that happened this morning.
One of the more noticeable early dementia symptoms is difficulty retaining recently learned information. Someone may forget a conversation from earlier in the day, ask the same question several times, or forget an appointment they recently made.
There is a difference between this and the occasional forgetfulness that comes with normal aging. The NIA notes that older adults may sometimes lose things or forget a payment. More serious cognitive problems can start interfering with everyday activities.
3. Getting Lost on Routes You Once Knew
Picture someone driving to a supermarket they have visited hundreds of times. Suddenly, a familiar road does not look familiar anymore.
Taking a wrong turn occasionally happens. What is more concerning is when someone repeatedly becomes confused in places they know well, forgets how to get to regular destinations, or has trouble understanding where they are.
Getting lost and losing track of location are among the symptoms the NIA identifies as possible signs of mild Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Finding Simple Words Becomes Surprisingly Difficult
Everyone has those moments when a familiar word seems to disappear for a few seconds. You know what you want to say, but the word just will not come out.
That occasional “word on the tip of my tongue” moment is normal. Frequent difficulty finding ordinary words can be different. A person might pause often while speaking, use an unrelated or unusual word instead of the one they mean, lose their train of thought, or struggle to explain something that was once easy for them to describe.
When this starts happening regularly, it can become noticeable not only to the person experiencing it but also to the people around them.
5. Loss of Smell
A reduced sense of smell can sometimes appear much earlier than other symptoms of certain neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s.
The olfactory system the system responsible for our sense of smell can be affected years or even decades before other symptoms appear.
The way smell changes can also vary between conditions. In Alzheimer’s, a person may still detect smells but have difficulty identifying them correctly. With Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies, odors may not be perceived at all.
6. Everyday Objects Keep Ending Up in Strange Places
Everyone loses their keys from time to time. The problem is when misplacing everyday belongings becomes a repeated pattern and the person cannot work out where they put them.
For example, someone might put their wallet in the refrigerator or leave their glasses somewhere completely unexpected.
It is not the occasional missing set of keys that stands out. It is the repeated behavior, particularly when the person can no longer retrace their steps to figure out where the item went.
7. Your Judgment Starts Changing
Changes in judgment can be harder to notice at first because everyone makes a questionable decision now and then.
But a repeated change in the way someone makes decisions may be different. A person might begin making unusually risky choices, struggle with simple problems, or make decisions that seem completely out of character.
One bad decision does not prove anything. What can be more telling is a pattern that family members start noticing themselves—especially when they find themselves thinking, “That isn’t like them.”
When Should You See a Doctor?
Memory problems do not always mean dementia. Neither does one unusual driving mistake, a forgotten word or a misplaced object. But if changes in memory or thinking are becoming more frequent, are affecting everyday activities, or are being noticed by family members, it is reasonable to speak with a doctor.
A healthcare professional can look at memory, language, reasoning, attention, medications, medical history and other possible causes. The NIA also notes that a doctor may refer someone to a specialist, such as a neurologist, when further assessment is appropriate.
The important thing is not to diagnose yourself based on one symptom. Instead, pay attention to persistent or worsening changes and discuss them with a healthcare professional when they begin affecting everyday life.
