By Athlete 
Aging brings with it illness, which is why no one wants to enter this stage of life.
In fact, a 2024 study from Loughborough University in England found that some patients may experience eye symptoms before being diagnosed with dementia.
But what exactly is dementia?
What is dementia?
Dr. Brooke T. Johnson, a neuro-ophthalmologist at Endeavor Health, said dementia is a term for a severe decline in cognitive function that affects daily life.
“It affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning, language and judgment.””, said Dr. Brooke T. Johnson.
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia is a general term that refers to a severe decline in cognitive function that affects daily life.
The link between vision changes and early dementia
Dr. Johnson explains the connection between dementia and a person’s vision: “Dementia affects the frontal and temporal lobes (of the brain), causing problems with object recognition. Some changes in vision can be early symptoms of dementia, including loss of contrast sensitivity, color perception, clarity, and object recognition.”she said.
These symptoms can also be caused by other eye diseases. “Vision can predict dementia 12 years before diagnosis – new study” Researchers at Loughborough University have shown that loss of visual acuity can predict dementia up to 12 years before diagnosis.
Other early signs of dementia
While vision changes are one of the most common symptoms of early-stage dementia, there are many other symptoms that can be considered warning signs of the condition, says Dr. Johnson.
Photo: Getty
How important is it to recognize early symptoms of dementia?
Dr. Johnson said there is no cure for dementia, but early detection is beneficial.
“If detected early, patients can make lifestyle changes and receive appropriate treatment to help slow the progression of the disease. Lifestyle changes should include physical and mental exercise, social connection socialize, eat healthy and keep healthy sleep, reduce smoking.” Limit alcohol intake…“, she said.
Why should you see an eye doctor?
Changes in vision can be a sign of early dementia, but Dr. Johnson says as we age so do some eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration.
Dr. Johnson emphasizes that not all memory problems are dementia, and some can be easily treated.