Craving three types of food can be early sign of dementia

Dementia is a great fear for most people, so it's crucial to be aware of the early warning signings.

It goes far beyond simply forgetting stuff, too, as dementia can change how people behave, their habits, how they act in certain environments, even what they eat.

This is especially true for frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the most common kind of dementia for people aged under 65. It's also known as frontal lobe dementia.

The Alzheimer's Society explains that FTD occurs when nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes are damaged by disease, leading to connections between them and the rest of the brain breaking down.

The lobes are found behind the forehead and control our emotions, as well as how we think and behave. So when they get damaged, they can have extreme impacts on behaviour and personality, which is the behavioural variant FTD.

There is also Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) variant, which will see difficulties with remembering words and names, as well as possible struggles with speach.

Those with FTD don't typically struggle with memory in the early stages but instead have gradual changes to their personality, which can then worsen over time.

Spotting these signs early can make a big difference, and three food cravings have been highlighted as a possible symptom.

Personality changes can be a sign of dementia (Getty Stock)

Warning signs of frontotemporal dementia

The Alzheimer's Society has explained that those with behavioural variant FTD could display a range of new traits and actions.

A significant one is how people act at meal times, an inability to stop eating unhealthy foods and even unable to control their intake of vices like alcohol.

They say people affected might: "Crave sweet, fatty foods or carbohydrates and forget their table manners."

They may also: "No longer know when to stop eating, drinking alcohol or smoking, or may feel a strong urge to do these activities."

Anyone else suddenly concerned?

Most people suffering from behavioural variant FTD don't tend to be aware of their symptoms, the Alzheimer's Society explains, and changes tend to be noticed by those around them first.

This can lead to 'long delays' in diagnosis as people with the affliction may not think they need help or refuse to seek it even after it has been suggested.

So it's crucial to be aware of the signs, which also include:

• struggle to focus and easily distracted
• find it difficult to plan, organise and make decisions
• behave in socially inappropriate ways and act without thinking – like making insensitive or rude comments about someone’s appearance, making sexual gestures in public, or being verbally or physically aggressive
• lose the ability to understand what others might be thinking or feeling
• lose motivation to do things they used to enjoy
• have less of a sense of humour, or laugh at other people’s problems
• show repetitive or obsessive behaviours – for example, repeating phrases or gestures, hoarding or being obsessed with timekeeping
• take up new interests – for example, music or spirituality – these might give the person a positive focus, but can sometimes become obsessive in nature
• Sensitiveness to physical stimuli like sounds, temperature or pain changed

Here's all the information you need on frontotemporal dementia from the Alzheimer's Society.