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A word on the tip of the tongue or a forgotten birthday-everyone will occasionally have a memory gap.

But when you are old, you can't help but wonder if these light spots are normal or are signs of dementia.

Dementia is a devastating disease that most people fear, and a large part of the elderly will suffer from it.

It is estimated that nearly 1 million people in the UK suffer from dementia, and about half of them have not been diagnosed.

The Alzheimer's Research Center in the United Kingdom said that people generally believe that dementia is an senile disease, because more than 42,000 people under the age of 65 in the UK suffer from dementia.

There are many types of dementia, the most common being Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for about 75% of cases. 

But on the surface, it is difficult to interpret the relationship between brain aging and dementia, especially when the disease is in its early stages. 

Katie Puckering, head of the information services team at the Alzheimer's Research Center in the United Kingdom, said that the key difference is that the symptoms of dementia patients affect their daily functions.

Dementia affects some of the ways in a person’s daily life, even years before diagnosis, including:

Dementia is more than just forgetfulness. It interferes with the way someone behaves or talks.

So how do you know if your memory is normal, or seeing someone's warning sign?

Katie explained the difference between a person with normal brain aging and a person with dementia using the example of losing the car key.

She told The Sun: "As humans, we generally put car keys in unusual places, and it takes longer to find them.

"As you get older, you need more time to remember, or you really need to think; what am I doing? Where am I? What distracts me? Do I have to let the dog out? Then you are Find the key at the back door.

"As people get older, the process of retrieving information will slow down.

"People with dementia may not be able to recall the information and what they did when they entered the house.

"It may also happen that they may put it in a place that does not really belong to it. For example, instead of putting the milk back in the refrigerator, they put the kettle in the refrigerator."

The National Institute on Aging in the United States gives some examples of what is considered normal amnesia and dementia in old age.

Read each one carefully and consider what type you might be. It may be helpful to do this with someone you live with:

These are just a few examples-dementia can manifest in different ways.

Sometimes the affected person is not aware of the deterioration of their cognitive abilities, and it is the loved one who finds these signs.

Katie said: "This is a key feature of certain types of dementia-when you start to make mistakes more often without realizing it is happening.

"It becomes very difficult for people who live independently and don't know that they are making mistakes around the house."

The NHS stated that dementia is “not a natural part of aging”.

Katie explained: "As we age, our brains do become smaller, which is normal. Our thinking and memory processes slow down. 

"But in Alzheimer's [the most common form of dementia], it shrinks greatly.

"Over time, brain cells are damaged by the accumulation of toxic proteins called amyloid and tau. 

"These start to interrupt the way of communication between brain cells, and this is what causes our symptoms related to Alzheimer's-repetitiveness, memory loss, sometimes disorientation and communication problems.

"The interruption of communication between brain cells caused them to eventually die, and the size of the brain—that is, a large number of cells—started to shrink."

It can be frightening to think that your daily error may be the early stages of dementia.

Signs that it may be time to talk to a doctor include:

Katie said that if you suspect a problem, the first thing to do is to contact your GP.

She said: "They will conduct a number of different tests to rule out other causes.

"Because of these mild symptoms, there are many different symptoms that can cause these symptoms, such as thyroid disease, vitamin deficiencies and potential infections, drug interactions, and menopause.

"So by going to a general practitioner, they can perform some blood tests and quick memory tests to determine what the symptoms are. Then, if they feel it is appropriate, they may refer to the memory clinic for more tests."