Dementia is an umbrella term for cognitive impairment conditions. Affecting more than 5 million Americans, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, according to the National Institute on Aging. Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal and vascular dementia, and mixed dementia can be equally impactful quality-of-life-wise. Progressive brain cell loss is often a cause of dementia, although strokes, tumors, and head injuries can also be factors.

Below, you’ll find early warning symptoms of dementia:

1. Memory loss
It’s often short-term memory that’s affected first by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This could result in forgetting dates, not remembering where items were placed, or having to rely on memory aids or other family members to recall things.

2. Trouble planning or solving problems
During the early stages of dementia, someone may have trouble following a recipe or getting to familiar locations when driving. They could also have difficulty figuring out monthly bills or solving routine problems.

3. Difficulty with familiar tasks
This refers to things like completing a normal morning routine, using a computer, and other common tasks that were once second-nature. Difficulty with familiar tasks may extend to home-based and work-related routines.

4. Time and place confusion
With age-related memory loss, someone may momentarily forget the day/date before remembering. If dementia is a factor, however, this type of confusion may include the affected person randomly forgetting where they’re at or frequently struggling with dates.

5. Trouble comprehending visual information
Someone with dementia can have trouble processing and comprehending visual information. For instance, they might have difficulty figuring out differences between colors, reading, or judging distances. This can be especially problematic while driving or even riding a bike.

6. Speech issues
Another early sign of dementia involves problems speaking or communicating in general. This may be noticed when having a conversation with an affected person and they have trouble following what’s being said. With written communication, spelling, grammar, and punctuation may become worse or handwriting may become difficult to read if it wasn’t before.

7. Misplacing personal items
One of the more common early warning symptoms of dementia is misplacing everyday items. If this becomes serious, the affected person may accuse other family members or friends of “stealing” or intentionally moving keys, the remote, or other things that often get shuffled around.

8. Poor judgment
Poor judgment or decision-making can encompass many things. An affected person might, for example, pay too much when paying in cash or begin to buy more of things they already have. Someone in the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may also become less particular about their appearance or wear clothing not appropriate for the season.

9. Social withdrawal
During the early stages of dementia, an affected person may purposely avoid social situations because they are aware something is wrong but not willing to admit it. Some people with dementia also lose interest in hobbies or activities that normally involve other individuals.

10. Personality and mood changes
Dementia sometimes contributes to mood or personality changes. For instance, a person typically outgoing and happy may progressively become withdrawn, irritable, or depressed.

The symptoms mentioned above shouldn’t be dismissed as a normal part of aging if you notice them in yourself or a loved one. While there is no cure yet for many forms of dementia, early diagnosis, proper care, and treatment could slow the progression of symptoms. Also, some forms of dementia may be reversible to some extent, as is sometimes the case with vascular dementia if it’s related to a stroke.