Memory loss can be seen as a normal sign of aging. As our age progresses, so does our ability to retain certain things. Dementia, however, is different than just forgetting things. It not only affects your memories, but it also changes your behavior patterns and thinking capabilities as well. It can change a person to their core, even the things that may be a huge part of their personality.

A charity is highlighting key dementia symptoms that are more than just "normal aging." A recent survey shows that a huge 85% of people in the UK put off getting help. Getting a diagnosis early means the person can get the best support and treatment they need as soon as possible.

Dementia has no cure; hence, the best way to ensure one's quality of life does not severely decline, one must get treatment quickly. While you may not be able to eradicate the disease, you can get its symptoms under control.

Why People Delay Seeking Help

A survey by the Alzheimer's Society found that only a third of people tell their doctor about dementia symptoms within a month of noticing them. This includes noticing symptoms in themselves or a loved one. Only 15% sought help "immediately," meaning most people (75%) waited to get advice.

Many of the 1,100 people surveyed stayed quiet because they weren't sure if the symptoms were from dementia or just normal aging. About one in three people (33%) who noticed symptoms kept their worries to themselves for over a month. Another 11% hadn't even talked about their concerns despite seeing the first signs. This delay often leads to people waiting a long time for medical advice, with almost a quarter waiting more than six months to see a doctor.

Early signs of dementia, like trouble following conversations, difficulty concentrating, and memory lapses, are often mistaken for normal aging things like hearing loss or simply forgetting things. The survey also found that 16% of people actively "avoid" getting a diagnosis because they're scared of how it might affect their relationships. Plus, 44% worried about family or caregivers starting to "talk down" to them.

Key Early Indicators of Dementia

The survey pointed out seven possible early signs of dementia:

• Trouble following a conversation
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory loss
• Hearing loss
• Forgetfulness
• Mood swings
• Difficulty moving

The former CEO of the Alzheimer's Society emphasized the need to be more open about dementia, saying we "can't continue to avoid the 'd' word."

Dementia vs. Normal Aging: What's the Difference?

The charity helps explain the difference between signs of Alzheimer's and dementia versus typical age-related changes. Signs of Alzheimer's and dementia often include:

• Poor judgment and making bad decisions
• Inability to manage money
• Losing track of the date or season
• Struggling to have a conversation
• Misplacing things and being unable to find them again
• Making a bad decision once in a while
• Missing a monthly payment occasionally
• Forgetting which day it is but remembering later
• Sometimes forgetting a word
• Losing things from time to time

A new study from the University of Edinburgh found that the brains of cats with dementia show changes very similar to those seen in humans with Alzheimer's disease. These findings are a big step forward and could lead to new treatments for both people and pets. For the first time, researchers can see how the brains of cats naturally change as they get older and develop dementia, which provides a much more realistic picture of the disease than previous research has been able to. This discovery is a huge breakthrough because it offers a new way to study the disease and find better treatments.

How Can Cats Help Us Treat Dementia?

In the past, scientists have relied on genetically modified rodents to study Alzheimer's. However, rodents do not naturally get dementia. Cats, on the other hand, do. They also show similar symptoms to humans, such as confusion and changes in sleep patterns. Because of these similarities, cats provide a more accurate and natural model for studying the disease.

Dr. Robert McGeachan, the study's lead researcher, said that because cats naturally develop these brain changes, they may help scientists explore whether promising new treatments for human Alzheimer’s could also help our aging pets. This research benefits both species and their caregivers.

What Does Cat Dementia Reveal About Humans?

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh examined the brains of 25 cats after they passed away. They found that older cats and those with dementia had a build-up of a toxic protein called amyloid-beta. This protein is a key sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

The research showed that this protein was found in the synapses—the connections between brain cells. These connections are essential for healthy brain function. When they are lost, a person's memory and thinking skills decline.

The research also discovered that some support cells in the cats' brains were "eating" these damaged synapses. This process, known as synaptic pruning, is a normal part of brain development but can contribute to the loss of synapses in dementia.

Why Is Dementia On The Rise?

Dementia is a very common disease among older people, and since the elderly population is growing quickly worldwide, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase. A study published in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences journal, based in Wales, UK, looked at medical records from 1999 to 2018 to understand this trend. The study included over 161,000 dementia diagnoses from nearly 117,000 people. The study found a few important things:

Older Age at Diagnosis

The average age for a dementia diagnosis has been going up. This means fewer younger people are being diagnosed with the disease.

More Cases and Longer Lives

The number of new dementia cases has risen and so has the total number of people living with the disease. The study also found that people with dementia are living longer than they used to, even with their diagnosis.

This is not just limited to the UK, dementia cases in the US are also estimated to double by 2060. Published in the journal Nature Medicine, followed nearly 16,000 Americans since 1987, found that the overall lifetime risk for developing dementia for a middle-aged American is 42 percent.

This risk is higher for women (48 percent) than for men (35 percent), mainly because women tend to live longer. The risk also increases with age, rising to over 50 percent for people who live to be 75. The study's authors believe that previous estimates were too low because of poor record-keeping and a lack of data on early-stage cases and racial minorities.

According to the study, preventing heart diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes can also help slow cognitive decline and prevent dementia. Other factors linked to a higher risk include obesity, unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, and poor mental health.

Bubonic Plague: A Lak Tahoe area resident has tested positive for plague, as confirmed by the California health officials on Tuesday. The officials have confirmed that the resident was infected after being bitten by an infected flea while camping in the South Lake Tahoe area.

What does this mean for people living in the surround area? Questions about plague, how is it spread, or is it preventable are of course spiraling in everyone's mind right now.

Here, we try to answer all your concerns.

California Resident Plague Case 2025

What happened? The health officials in California confirmed that a South Lake Tahoe resident tested positive for the plague. This is the same centuries-old disease that had killed millions during the Black Death.

The individual is believed to have contracted the infection after being bitten by an infected flea while camping near the Lake Tahoe Basin. According to El Dorado County Public Health, the patient is receiving care and recovering at home.

“Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher-elevation areas of El Dorado County,” said Kyle Fliflet, the county’s acting public health director. “It’s important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking and camping in areas where wild rodents are present.”

Also Read: What History Teaches Us About Plague? Are There More Than One Type?

Plague: It is an illness that you can get from the bacterium Yersinia pestis or the Y pestis. It is a zoonotic disease, which means you can get it from animals and they also can get it from you. The disease usually spreads through bites from fleas that have been infected by biting an infected animal.

Read: California Resident Tests Positive For Plague, Officials Trace Case Back To Lake Tahoe Flea

Is The Bubonic Plague Back?

The Global Center for Health Security, by the University of Nebraska Medical Center notes that the bubonic plague never really went away.

The bubonic plague wiped out tens of millions of people in Europe in the 14th century and it thus gained the label 'Black Death'.

Last year too, a rare case of human plague was confirmed in rural Oregon, as confirmed by the Deschutes County Health Services. As per the report the individual is said to be infected by a pet car, which had symptoms.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US, on an average, seven human plague cases are reported each year in the country.

Is Bubonic Plague Contagious?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), while not totally eradicated, "human to human transmission of bubonic plague is rare". However, bubonic plague is contagious.

The CDC notes that people usually get plague after being bitten by an infected rodent flea or by handling an infected animal. People can also become infected through exposure to sick pets, especially cats, which had been the case from Oregon, last year.

There are 3 ways a plague can spread, through animals, through blood, and through infectious droplets. However, all three different ways make for three different kinds of plagues. For bubonic plague, it is spread by flea bites, notes CDC.

Flea bites: Infected fleas transmit plague after feeding on sick rodents. When rodents die, fleas look for new hosts, including humans and pets, potentially causing bubonic or septicemic plague.

Contaminated fluids/tissues: Handling infected animals, such as skinning animals without protection, can spread plague bacteria, usually leading to bubonic or septicemic plague.

Infectious droplets: Plague pneumonia in humans or animals can release bacteria into the air. Inhaling these droplets may cause pneumonic plague, though direct close contact is usually required. Cats are especially vulnerable and can pass the infection to people.

Bubonic Plague Symptoms

The common signs of bubonic plague are:

• Fever
• Headache
• Chills
• Weakness
• One or more swollen, painful lymph nodes, called buboes (where the disease derives its name from)

These symptoms of bubonic plague usually start within the period of 2 to 8 days after being bitten.

The bacteria multiply in a lymph node near where the bacteria entered the human body. If the patient is not treated with the appropriate antibiotics, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body.

Bubonic Plague Mortality Rate

As per EBSCO, a platform that provides research databases, e-journals and other library resources, the bubonic plague has a historically high case fatality ratio from about 30 to 60%. However, today, with the help of treatment, it can be reduced to 5% to 15%.

The CDC notes that over 80% of the US plague cases have been in bubonic form, with seven cases each year. Plague has occurred in people across all ages, though 50% of cases happen in people aged 12 to 45. CDC notes that while it happens to both men and women, the plague is more common in men, probably "because of increased outdoor activities that put them at higher risk".

As new COVID-19 cases continue to crop up, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is giving daily updates to help people. Amid the rise of new stains, as well as changing vaccine guidelines, one must stay up to date with COVID data.

Latest CDC data shows that 28,052 Americans were tested positive for COVID-19, western states are currently at the highest risk for new COVID-19 infections. This comes as the "stratus" variant and other virus strains continue to circulate nationwide.

How US is Tracking COVID Risk In States

Wastewater monitoring is a powerful tool that helps us track the spread of viruses like COVID-19. It can pick up on a virus's presence in a community even before people start feeling sick or go to the doctor. This is a great way to find infections, including those with no symptoms. If you see that wastewater viral activity is increasing, it means there's a higher chance of infection.

The amount of virus in the wastewater is given a level: Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, or Very High. These levels help show the risk of infection in a certain area. For example, a Very High level means the virus amount is over 7.8, while a Low level is between 2 and 3.4.

While national COVID-19 viral activity in wastewater has dropped from "moderate" to "low" this month, several states, particularly in the West, are bucking the trend. The CDC's wastewater monitoring data from August 3 to August 9, 2025, showed "very high" viral activity in:

• Utah
• Nevada
• Texas
• Alaska
• Hawaii

Additionally, states with "high" levels of viral activity as of August 14 include California, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Connecticut. The CDC warns that elevated wastewater levels may signal a higher risk of infection.

What Are The Symptoms of Current COVID Strain?

The "nimbus" or NB.1.8.1 variant is currently the most prevalent strain in the U.S., followed by the LP.8.1 variant, which is a descendent of Omicron. The "stratus" (XFG) variant is the third-most common and is making up a significant portion of the virus detected in wastewater.

Symptoms for these variants are largely consistent with previous strains, including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, and congestion. However, some reports have noted specific symptoms, such as "hoarseness" with the "stratus" variant and "razor-blade" sore throats with the "nimbus" variant.

Also Read: What History Teaches Us About Plague? Are There More Than One Type?

How Many Days After Exposure To Covid Do Symptoms Appear?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends you wait at least five days after being exposed to COVID-19 before taking a test. Testing too early can give you an incorrect result. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, however, you should test immediately.

However, no test is perfect. A test might not catch every case of the virus, if you believe you were exposed or have symptoms but get a negative result, it's a good idea to take multiple tests to be sure.

To avoid spreading the virus, it's safest to act as if you are positive until you have at least two negative test results. You should also self-isolate if you develop any symptoms, even if your test is negative.

Is COVID Still A Thing?

As of August 12, 2025, COVID-19 infections are either increasing or likely increasing in 34 states. In 14 states, the number of infections is staying about the same. Currently, no states are showing a decrease in infections.