People have been warned of a little known sign of Alzheimer's disease that is more noticeable when driving.
Many families around the UK have been affected by the cruel disease which more common as you get older and it has been in the headlines recently following the sad news of Fiona Phillips being diagnosed.
Alzheimer's is one of the most common types of dementia and often results in memory loss, confusion and lack of reasoning skills. There are also more treatment options available to the patient if diagnosed early, reports the Mirror.
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A lesser known symptom of the disease is also finding it hard to determine colour or contrast which can be noticed when driving. As those who drive know, there are multiple aspects of being behind the wheel which mean remaining focussed at all times is imperative.
“For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. This may lead to difficulty with balance or trouble reading. They may also have problems judging distance and determining colour or contrast, causing issues with driving,” states the Alzheimer’s Association.
It adds that this shouldn’t be confused with vision changing due to cataracts as they get older. Meanwhile, a new survey conducted by the Alzheimer's Society revealed only one in three people tell doctors about themselves or a loved one experiencing dementia symptoms within the first month.
The poll suggest many people keep quiet as they are not certain their symptoms are not associated with normal ageing.
"One in three people (33%) who notice symptoms of dementia in themselves or a loved one keep their fears to themselves for over a month," the charity said.
According to the survey, only 15% of people addressed the issue straight away, while 11% said they still haven't raised their concerns after spotting the first symptom.
Resident doctor on ITV's Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, Dr Amir Khan, said: "A third of us will go on to develop dementia in our lifetimes - we need to change the idea that getting dementia is inevitable as we age - it's not called getting old - it's called getting ill."
